


The Choice

by BigBadLittleRed



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha Stiles, Alternate Universe, BAMF Lydia, BAMF Stiles, Beta Scott, Dragon Jordan Parrish, F/M, Flashbacks, Kidnapping, M/M, Omega Derek, Past Child Abuse, Past Sexual Abuse, Past Torture, Psychological Trauma, Sorceress Lydia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-21
Updated: 2015-12-25
Packaged: 2018-04-05 08:28:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 14
Words: 31,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4172880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BigBadLittleRed/pseuds/BigBadLittleRed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been years since the fall of the Hale Pack, which resulted in the death of almost every member of it. Now, Beacon Hills is occupied by the Stilinski Pack. Led by Alpha Stiles, powerful sorceress Lydia Martin, and Stiles' best friend and loyal Beta, Scott McCall.</p><p>Stiles is an intelligent young man, cunning and witty, only turning to his physical strength as a last resort. But when it comes down to it, he'd spill blood without a second thought to protect who he loves.</p><p>It wasn't on his agenda to pick a fight with the ruthless so-called 'Alpha Pack', but he is not the type to stand by and watch an innocent Omega die. After bonding with this severely abused and mistreated wolf, he has to make a decision.</p><p>Hand this Omega back to his abusers, or go to war and put everything he loves at risk.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Fall

**Author's Note:**

> ( Hey, guys! So a new story, surprise, surprise, right? Well, I'm still working on the others, I promise. But I could not help writing this new idea I had, I've been holding off for weeks. At first I thought of just quickly finishing my other stories, but I really want to take my time on those, so I just started this one while the others are in progress. Hope you enjoy! )

"I'm telling you, we missed something." Derek murmurs to his sisters as he stands in his chair, staring down at the map on the table. He adjusts his glasses idly before resting his fists against his hips. "Peter forgot something." He sighs, squirming when his older sister grabs him off the chair and sets him on the floor.

 

"Peter doesn't forget like that, you're worrying over nothing, nerd." She mutters, but her heart isn't in the insult, she's monitoring their surroundings. Laura had been left in charge of Derek and Cora while their pack was out fighting off hunters. She steps over to the window and uses her fingers to create a space in the blinds, peering out into the night.

 

"He did, I can feel it in my bones." The twelve year old grumbles, leaning against the table and observing the map once more. Cora is hovering nearby, her hand fisted in his t-shirt. They try not to tell her everything that's going on, but sensing the distress her siblings put out made her edgy anyway. She's only seven, too young to know about any of this.

 

Derek is a little young as well, but he's been chosen as Peter's replacement in future. They're planners, tactic analysts, intelligent and thorough in their work. They plan the strategies of battle, advise the Alphas in battle. Derek had been chosen since birth, Laura being a replacement Alpha in place of her mother. Derek being the second born, was decided to be the right hand man, and he took that position seriously.

 

"What does that mean?" Cora asks, staring at him with curious eyes.

 

"It means I have a funny feeling and it's an instinct that I can feel inside me. Mama always says to listen to your instincts, and my instincts say that Peter missed something!" He says the last of his sentence to Laura, who turns to look at him with agitated eyes.

 

"Look, I know you're all excited to be part of something. But you're way too young to decide that Peter, who has had years of training in this by the way, has somehow missed something!" She snarls, flashing her bright yellow Beta eyes at him. He clenches his teeth together as he turns his head slightly in submission.

 

When the older girl stomps out of the room (presumably to look outside from a different angle), Derek climbs back into the chair. Cora lets him go, releasing his shirt to grab onto his jeans instead when the fabric is too high for her to reach. He glares down at the map, analyzing each and every point of the territory.

 

"Laura? Where's Peter supposed to be?" He calls out, looking to the girl when she steps into the doorway once more.

 

"That area up in the left quadrant, covering the two corners near the Preserve edge." She tells him with a nod, frowning at him with curiosity.

 

"His name is written twice on here." He says softly, Laura hurries forward and stands next to him, reaching just below his height from where he stands on the chair. "See? Up there near the Preserve, and the tunnels near the house." He explains quietly, in almost disbelief.

 

"Maybe someone noticed already, the tunnels are always first to be guarded." She says, crossing her arms as she stares down at the map with a huff.

 

"I knew something was wrong, everyone's positions are all messed up. He paired mom and dad together, they're never put together, we don't have enough pack for two people to cover a single small space." Derek says, licking his lips nervously.

 

"I have to go out there and see, maybe I can cover the tunnels." Laura says, turning and heading towards the door.

 

"Laura, no! You'll get lost or killed, you don't know the tunnels like everyone else does!" He pleads, leaping down from the chair and grabbing at her waist.

 

"I'm protecting you and Cora, those tunnels are a gateway ticket to the house." She tells him, prying his wrists from her shirt. "You're a big boy, you can stay here and hold down the fort.." Laura tells him with a pat to his head.

 

"No! I'm not strong enough, Laura. Please don't go, please." He begs, Laura turns and reaches for the knob. It turns suddenly, without the teen's hand on it, she yanks her arm back like it's been burned.

 

They all scramble back, Laura grabs her younger siblings and tugs them behind her. Another twist of the knob, and then a thud as something slams against the door.

 

"Go hide." She whispers, turning her head slightly when neither of the children move. "That's an order, Derek." She hisses, Derek nods, flinching when another slam sounds against the door. He grabs Cora by the hand and they race up the stairs, as soon as they reach the landing, the door flies open with a spray of splintered wood from the lock.

 

A man is standing in the door, almost as big as the doorway. When he steps inside, another man follows.

 

"Hello, puppies." One of them snarls, staring up at Derek and Cora.

 

"Run, Derek!" Laura demands, before lurching forward at the hunters, claws at the ready.

 

Derek takes off down the hall, he pushes Cora into his room at the far end of the hall.

 

"Stay here, I'll be right back." He's quick, racing around and reaching inside each door to turn the lock before shutting the door. It'll take them more time to locate them this way, more time for their parents or someone older to come back. He hears things crashing and shattering downstairs, finds himself shaking as the final door is locked and he hurries to return to Cora.

 

He slams the door behind him and locks the door, moving around a dresser and pushing it against the door. It takes a lot of effort, he's small and an Omega, he wasn't graced with great physical strength like his siblings. Cora is frozen in the corner, looking fearful and confused, eyes a bright yellow.

 

"It's gonna be okay, mom and dad will be home soon. They'll help us, I promise." He explains, listening to the footsteps storming up the stairs. "You just gotta be real quiet, okay? Climb under the bed." He says softly, kneeling down and helping her scoot underneath the bed as a door gets broken open down the hall. He grabs some small boxes and pushes them under the bed as well, concealing his sister behind them.

 

He listens to another door get busted down, closer this time. He takes in a deep breath, and decides to fight. Derek carefully scales his bookshelf near the door, jumping onto the dusty top and crouching there. One by one, doors are broken down and rooms are searched. When the doorknob turns, Derek clenches his hands into fists. He reaches down to a lower shelf and grabs onto a heavy trophy, a good behavior award. He smirks slightly, finding it a bit ironic.

 

After two slams, the door opens slightly, pressing against the dresser.

 

"Over here!" The man at the door calls, a pair of boots storm over to meet him.

 

"You saw the boy's eyes, we promised Deucalion an Omega, and that means alive." One of them says softly.

 

"What about the girl?" The other one hisses.

 

"Kill her."

 

Together the men push until the dresser topples forward, a boot sticks in the crack of the door to push at the dresser until it scoots away so it can open wider. The second one of the men enter, Derek chunks the trophy at his face. The man staggers, blood beginning to drip from his temple.

 

"You little brat!" He snarls, falling over a toy bin and hitting the carpet as the other man enters. Derek leaps off the shelf and latches onto the other man, hitting and clawing at him.

 

A pair of hands grab him from behind, tearing him away from the man with a shout. He struggles wildly but soon finds his arms pinned to his sides. He kicks and screams, trying to aim his feet in the direction of the man's crotch. He gets slapped in the face, the force of the calloused palm jerks his head to the side, the shock slowing his movements to a stop. His glasses have fallen off his face in the struggle, making it harder to see.

 

The sting takes a moment to kick in, tears welling into his ears.

 

"Where's the girl?" The one holding him asks, shifting him until his legs are tight in his grasp as well. "Where's your sister, boy?" The other man asks, grabbing his hair in a fist and tugging, smirking when he cries out.

 

"Go to hell." He growls through gritted teeth, tears clinging to his eyelashes and blurring his vision.

 

"Quite a mouth on this one, Deucalion always likes to break the mouthy ones." The man chuckles dryly. "Oh yes, you'll make quite a gift." They start heading down the stairs, Derek's heart begins to race.

 

"Mom! Dad!" He screams, struggling wildly, the panic giving him a bit more strength. His head hangs backwards out of the man's arms, everything upside down as he observes his trashed home. Then he spots a puddle of blood, and a figure sitting in it. There's arrows sticking out of her chest, one right in the middle of her forehead. Her eyes are glassy and empty, mouth hanging open with blood at the corners of her lips.

 

"No! Laura!" He screams, the first cry working its way from his throat. His head hits the door frame on the way out, vision blurring and going dark with the impact. He squirms against the strong arms holding him weakly, but soon he's thrown against a cold metal floor. Derek can feel the vibrations of the engine, realizing it's the back of a van as he's pushed onto his stomach and his arms are forced behind him.

 

A rough material is tied around his wrists, then his ankles. The tears are flowing freely now, Derek screams and cries for his parents, anyone, to help him. Instead, a piece of fabric is forced between his teeth and tied behind his head, muffling his cries. He closes his eyes, drops his head against the cold metal floor, and sobs.

 

The car jerks forward as it starts to drive away, Derek wonders if he'll ever see his family again.


	2. Callous Men Are No Allies Of Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven Years Later.
> 
> The Stilinski Pack run to disperse a couple of trespassers and find themselves stopping a murder attempt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( My website is still acting a little funny, but I've pulled this up somehow and gotten it to work! Yes! Success, I tell you! )

Stiles is having a nice day, a mighty fine afternoon in the living room relaxing. He's got his book, fuzzy socks on his feet, reclined on the couch under a blanket. Boyd and Erica are on the love seat across the room, watching TV while tangled up together. The volume is a low buzz that when combined with the slight drizzle of rain outside becomes a soothing noise.

 

It had been raining hard and cold all night and all this morning, but finally it seemed to be letting up. It was cold as hell though, which was a reason for a day in. But, they had to keep their guard up. Stiles was due for walking the territory in a few hours, they walked the perimeter every few hours. Right now, Jordan and Scott were out, they'd be back in about an hour. Then, after a few hours, he'd go out and do a quick run, make sure things were on the up and up.

 

They were all a bit paranoid for the moment, having scented a foreign pack just outside of the territory. There were a few packs in California, but none were supposed to be so close to his pack's land. Usually it was one person going out, but Jordan was not in his element in all this damp weather. Growing scales and burning hot in cold weather just made him tired, but he could fight hand to hand, so Stiles just sent Scott with him.

 

"I wonder if Jordan gets hotter when Lydia has sex with him. His temperature goes up when he's in trouble, right?" Stiles says suddenly, earning a snorting laugh from Erica. "It's a good question!" He exclaims to the two, before he hears footsteps racing up through the puddles and mud and climbing the steps hurriedly. The keys jingle, followed by the door swinging open.

 

"Stiles!" Scott shouts, before spotting them, tracking mud in on the hardwood floor behind him. Parrish stands in the doorway, obviously more sentient to the fact that he's a muddy mess. "Down near the Preserve, heading to the river." His Beta pants, arm pointing towards the door. "There's a couple of wolves."

 

"How many?" Stiles asks, standing up. "Did they follow you?"

 

"No! They didn't see us. There was two older guys, and a younger one." He explains frantically, muddy boots squeaking on the floor. His face is damp from the drizzling rain, brown eyes wide with concern?

 

"The youngest was maybe around your age, Stiles. He was tied up and being dragged down to the river." Jordan explains from the door, looking nervous. Lydia appears on the stairs, hurrying down at the sight of her disheveled boyfriend, he gives her a murmur of his being all right and she presses a kiss to his damp cheek.

 

"We have to help him, Stiles." Scott says, puppy dog eyes full force. Stiles gives a look from his friend to the redhead near the door, who gives him a sort of stoic look, but nods. Lydia was more intelligent than Stiles times a thousand, she had the most level head in times of panic after Stiles. He listened to her decisions most of the time.

 

"Stiles, he sounded so scared." Scott pleads, clammy cold hands placed on his arms. His best friend was always so goodhearted and kind, Stiles would just have to see this situation himself..

 

"Let's head out. Scott, Boyd, you're with me. Jordan, I want you to drive up near the Preserve with Boyd and Erica. If you hear my signal, you find us and attack any strange wolves." He instructs, before slipping his sneakers on over his fuzzy socks and grabbing his jacket. "This is our territory." He mutters.

 

-

 

They run through the mud, the freezing air cutting sharply against their skin alongside the stinging drops of rain. It may seem like he sent the girls away to wait, but Erica was quite the hothead and attacked too easily. Lydia was the big guns, her magic strong and lethal. He didn't want any dead on his hands unless absolutely necessary. Boyd was calm, Scott was obedient.

 

As they near the river, Stiles begins to hear voices.

 

"Stop struggling, you brat." A scuffle, feet stumbling through water.

 

"Ennis, please. Don't do this." A voice begs softly, there's a splash and a hiss. The water is probably freezing, they creep closer as they slow down. More splashing, a struggle.

 

"Hold him good, don't let him up." Stiles breaks through the tree line, Scott and Boyd behind him. There's three men now, two holding down a third in the water. There's a pair of hands flailing in the air, grasping at the arms holding him down, legs kicking wildly.

 

"What the hell are you doing in my territory?!" He snarls, the three wolves look to him, the young man's face resurfaces with gasping coughs. "Drowning someone on my land?" He says calmly, crossing his arms.

 

"Alpha Stilinski, this does not concern you. We will be gone soon." The man on the other side of the river assures with a wave of his hand.

 

"It does when you're trying to drown someone on my territory." He snaps, listening to the young man struggle against the hands holding him in the water. He's most likely disoriented, soaked and probably freezing with most of his body submerged in icy water. He's blinking water from his glowing blue eyes, panting heavily and coughing. "An Omega? Drowning an Omega?" He growls.

 

"You wouldn't understand." The man tells him with a sigh, adjusting his glasses. "This is a very sensitive situation." He explains.

 

"You're drowning an Omega! That's pathetic! Omegas are sweet and loving, and you're trying to kill one!" Scott says with a wave of his arms, Stiles holds up a hand to silence him.

 

-

 

The water is freezing cold, when he gets dragged in he knows it's the end. The only thing left to do is beg for his life, when he goes under it's natural to push against the strong arms holding him down. He knows it's pointless, but he grabs at the men's arms, kicks his legs, desperate for air. The water numbs him, makes his body feel heavy.

 

When his head comes up, he knows nothing but the icy air that fills his aching lungs and gives him slight relief. He takes in deep breaths, scrambling to hold onto the arms still holding his body down. He struggles to keep his head up, finding new voices speaking, talking angrily with his Alpha.

 

"I didn't say stop!" The first clear words he hears, his Alpha shouting, and suddenly he's dunked under the water again. The effects are faster this time, an immediate need to breathe, panic rising as he starts to lose the strength to struggle. His arms and legs having lost all feeling, fingers pitifully hanging onto the damp fabric of his murderers' shirts.

 

His mind clouds, quickly losing consciousness as he loses all feeling entirely.

 

There's muffled voices around him, speaking far off in a way he can't understand. Then he feels this pressure against his chest, heavy and painful, until he realizes he's not breathing. He's brought back to reality as he's rolled onto his side, coughing up water into the damp dirt. There's a hand on his shoulder, another on the back of his head.

 

Things are too dim and muddled as he's pulled onto his back, staring up at a blurry face. Their lips are moving much too fast for him to comprehend, but his chest hurts and every breath is agony. His vision weakens, and he's shaken violently.

 

"-me?" He frowns up at the face, which now has glowing red eyes. Only bits and pieces of the Alpha's voice filtering through. "-name, sweetheart?"

 

"D-D." His tongue is limp, lips uncooperative. "Da-Der."

 

"Darren?" The person guesses, he goes for a frustrated groan but all that comes out is a soft whimper. The cold is settling in, reminding him of how soaked he is, he can't feel his hands or feet.

 

"D-Der.. D-Der-rek." He gets out between shudders, the Alpha's lips quirk upwards slightly. Now that the man was pleased, he could close his eyes. But he's shaken again, the man's voice more urgent.

 

"Stay awake, Derek. Don't go to sleep." His voice tunes out though, everything getting darker before he relinquishes his grasp on consciousness.

 

-

 

On the cold shore of the small stream, Stiles tries to keep the Omega awake after he's resuscitated but he's clearly down for the count. He's pretty sure he said his name was Derek, but that didn't matter at the moment. The Omega's lips were a pale blue, skin almost white, chest rising and falling shallowly. His heart was much too slow, Stiles was edging on panic.

 

Scott and Boyd had teamed up with Erica to chase down the wolves, Jordan and Lydia staying behind.

 

"They'll just have to meet us at the house, he's gonna die if we don't get him warm." He gives a pointed look at Jordan, who blushes slightly and averts his eyes. "Now's not the time to get shy, Parrish. Come on, Lydia can drive, you sit in the back seat with me and the Omega."

 

He braces himself for a good amount of weight, but finds that the broad shouldered Omega is quite light. He's probably underweight, mistreated possibly from the scene of betrayal they all witnessed.

 

Once back at the van, he settles Derek (if that's really his name) onto the van carpet in the back. Stiles makes quick work, unzipping the Omega's thin jacket and tearing off his t-shirt to rid him from the soaking fabric. As expected, he can clearly see the young man's ribs, stomach slightly sunken in. He's got scars that appear to be old claw marks across his collar bones, jagged white lines that trail over pale skin.

 

"Jesus." Jordan mumbles as he jumps in, sliding the van door closed. Stiles places his jacket over the Omega's chest, before removing the young man's raggedy shoes and torn socks.

 

"Turn up the heat, buddy. Not too fast, can't have him going into shock." He tells the man across from him, who nods. He holds his hands out over the Omega's body, skin slowly taking on a glowing yellowish orange color. The skin cracks with a noise that still makes Stiles a little queasy, with each crack the skin turns to crimson red scales.

 

The room slowly gains heat, Parrish rests his elbows on his knees but keeps his hands out as much as he can. Stiles really doesn't want to, but he unbuttons the Omega's jeans to slide them off. Jordan gives him a slightly amused look and he huffs.

 

"Shut your mouth, lizard breath." He grumbles, tugging the damp jeans from the Omega's body and tossing them with the rest of his clothes. Derek's lips begin to lose that bluish hue, his breathing is a little stronger, but it's ragged and wet. Stiles hopes he'll live, he seems so young and innocent. Then again, all Alphas had a sort of tunnel vision to see Omegas as someone that needed to be protected. This guy was maybe nineteen, broad shoulders with not enough muscle to be healthy.

 

Once the jeans are removed, he finds little white scars on his thighs as well. These are like he was digging his own claws into his legs from the shape of them, there's a few sets on each leg. He runs a finger over one set, five of them in a row, inhales sharply.

 

"Omegas are important, right? Rare, valuable?" Jordan asks him quietly as he observes the young man unconscious before them. He nods to his jacket, Stiles reaches over and grabs it off the seat, draping it over Derek's legs.

 

"Valuable, fragile, they're usually protected and cared for but-" His voice trails off with a sigh, Jordan nods with a frown on his face.

 

"But they didn't seem to care." His friend finishes quietly, Stiles nods grimly.

 

"I don't know what sort of callous Alpha or Beta could stand by and watch an Omega be mistreated, but they aren't someone I want to meet." He says softly, carding his fingers through the young man's damp hair. "They sure as hell don't want to meet me, either." He feels a sort of rage crawl through him, wanting to tear out the icy hearts of the wolves that did this.

 

For now though, the Omega was safe in his care.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( Hope you liked it! Please leave feedback down below, remember to leave kudos as well! Thanks so much! :) )


	3. Strength From Stress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A confused and startled Omega is quite a predicament.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( Man you guys are really liking this story, hope you like this new update! :) )

When they return to the house, the rain is beginning to fall once more, as if it had only momentarily paused for this particular situation. Now that they were safely allowed inside, the clouds darkened further and the downpour began anew. Jordan carries Derek upstairs after Stiles instructs him, the Alpha heading into the hall closet to search for some blankets.

 

When Jordan had asked him if he should put him in the guest bedroom, Stiles had actually hesitated, the words 'My room' at the tip of his tongue before he thought different and agreed with his friend's notion. He heads upstairs, helping Jordan situate the Omega comfortably under the covers. His skin is still a little cool, but they'd have to watch for fever. Omega's were much more susceptible to sickness than other wolves, almost like a human. Just as their wounds healed slower and often scarred after healed.

 

Stiles debates calling his pseudo-mother Melissa, the woman being a nurse at the local hospital. The Omega's breathing is much too rugged and pained, resuscitation often broke ribs and inhaling water could cause infections of the lungs. He shouldn't be so worried about this guy, he's not pack, he's a stranger. But at the same time, he hopes that perhaps if one of his own packmates were in trouble, another pack would assist them.

 

Although this is wishful thinking, it didn't mean that he was going to just let that Omega die. It was in his nature to protect his pack, and this was an unclaimed Omega, which could potentially be pack. It was instinct to help, just as it was for Boyd, Scott, and Erica to go after those other wolves for hurting him. He still wasn't sure how those wolves could have avoided their instincts as they did, execute a helpless Omega that was begging for his life.

 

"We're going to have to keep an eye on him, make sure he doesn't get worse." Stiles tells Jordan after they shut the door to the room, heading back downstairs. Erica, Scott, and Boyd are sitting in the living room, Lydia's looking at Scott's arm which has some nasty claw marks on it.

 

"The one who talked to you, calling the orders, he's the Alpha." Scott tells him with a wince as Lydia prods at his wound. "One of his betas called him Duke."

 

"We followed them for a while, but then there were other wolves waiting for us just past the forest. I saw two pairs of Alpha eyes." Boyd tells him with a grunt, shaking his head as he pulls off his shredded and muddied t-shirt.

 

"You guys did good, made your Alpha proud." He croons at them with a teasing smirk, gaining a few eye rolls from the group. "Seriously though, it was good you retreated while you had the chance. You're tired and dirty, go clean up and once you do that I want everyone down here. We have to discuss the Omega we saved." He tells them with a clap of his hands, they all head to their separate rooms, some probably to take showers.

 

-

 

Once everyone's clean and redressed, Scott's Alpha wound bandaged up while it heals, they meet downstairs. Stiles isn't sure what could come from this, there's no rule book about this shit.

 

"We took an Omega from their pack, that's a big challenge, we're just asking for it." Erica says as she sits down on the couch handle, Boyd tugging her by the waist into his lap. She goes with ease, wrapping her arm around the back of his neck as she leans back against his chest.

 

"Yeah, but they were killing him. Why would they want him?" Lydia argues as she sits next to Jordan, hand reaching up to cup the back of his neck. Parrish looked quite smitten at the caring touch, as he always did, he was such an excited puppy when it came to Lydia.

 

"It's not about that, it's about territory. He was in their possession, therefor we took something from them." Stiles says with a shrug, scratching his cheek as he slumps down in a chair.

 

"If they were killing him, he obviously wasn't claimed." Scott was right, to harm a claimed Omega was asking for their mate to kill you. "Unless they killed his mate as well." He adds, which yes, did come to Stiles' mind too.

 

"I doubt it, an Omega separated from their mate is distraught and often they just give up on life. He would have accepted the drowning without a second thought, he was begging for his life." Their Alpha says with a sigh, scrubbing a hand over his face.

 

"So why would they kill him? They could have just claimed him, have their very own Omega." Jordan says hesitantly, he was new to the whole 'pack' thing. Skilled in his own powers, but still catching up on pack hierarchy. "Seems a little stupid."

 

"Something else is up, Jordan's right. Having an unclaimed Omega and killing them is extremely odd, even for the most brutal packs." Lydia nods, letting Parrish wrap his arm around her shoulders, leaning against him with practiced ease. "Even if he's male, it's extremely tempting for an Alpha to pass up an unclaimed Omega, unless of course they have a mate."

 

And with that statement, Stiles is the center of attention.

 

"What?" He gets a few knowing expressions and sighs. "The pull is strong, and really tempting. But I'm not going to force anything on this guy, he's malnourished and quite possibly abused. Not saying that I'd force myself on a healthy Omega of course, what I'm trying to say is that I am not a rapist." He assures, everyone nods in understanding.

 

"We weren't saying that, dude. Just don't want you getting all feral and growly or something." Scott smirks, Stiles gives a soft huff. That's when he hears is, the heartbeat thumping loudly as it moves down the hallway upstairs. He pauses, tilting his head up, listening to the slightly labored breathing of the Omega.

 

"Fuck, he's awake." He murmurs, everyone stands as the Omega comes down the stairs, eyes aglow. He's nervous, obviously, tense and suspicious of the strange people around him.

 

"Who are you?" He scowls, one arm on the banister and the other tucked against his chest, Stiles hadn't had a chance to call Melissa to look at him yet. "Where am I?" He demands harshly, his breathing sounds like he's gargling nails, pale and sick, a strong gust of wind could probably knock him down.

 

"Do you remember what happened?" Lydia speaks first, nobody dares move, confused werewolves were not something to fuck with, weak or not.

 

"Remember what happened?" Derek repeats angrily, before wincing in pain, hand against his chest tightening into a white fist. "You- You're avoiding my question, who are you? Where's Duke?" He snaps.

 

"Duke tried to have you killed, remember?" Stiles says, stepping forward slightly, the Omega eyes him warily.

 

"Do you know why?" He doesn't seem surprised as the statement, merely confused. His eyes lose their bluish tint, revealing a pair of greenish brown sort of color that Stiles couldn't really find the words to describe.

 

"Is it often that your Alpha tries to murder you?" Stiles asks with a raised eyebrow, humor leaking into his tone a tiny bit.

 

"He's not my Alpha!" Derek growls, the noise deep from his chest, which causes a hacking fit that ends with him leaning heavily against the banister red in the face. Scott steps forward then, reaching out to steady the Omega.

 

The young man jerks like he's been electrocuted, his hands come up and one arm slashes across Scott's face. His Beta stumbles back, holding the bloody claw marks on his cheek as they heal. Boyd and Erica step forward, growling slightly, Derek looks around like he's searching for a way out.

 

He spots the door just as Jordan leaps over the couch, anticipating his movement. Parrish blocks his path and Derek takes a step back, Stiles can see him shaking slightly, mouth trembling. The tension is thick in the air, Stiles can hear the Omega's heart beating rapidly, the noise deafening.

 

"Don't make this mistake, son." Parrish says, cop voice and all as he holds his arms out in front of him. Scott's a little closer now, a slight smear of blood on his face.

 

"Scott, don't-" And then hell breaks loose before him. Scott steps just a tiny bit closer, and Derek bolts for the door. Parrish of course attempts to block him, only to get punched in the face. Scott tackles Derek to the ground, pinning his arms above his head as he sits on his legs.

 

"Oh my God." Stiles groans, but his annoyance is soon replaced with concern when the Omega lets out a soft whimper.

 

"Please, just let me go. Let me go, I haven't done anything to you." Derek begs between hiccups, Scott sits back and releases Derek's hands. The Omega simply lays there as Scott backs up, off of him, standing as the young man lays motionless besides the shaking of his shoulders as he sobs.

 

"I haven't done anything.." Derek repeats between gasps, eyes squeezed shut. "Why are you doing this?" And his stomach sinks further, because he's starting to think some sort of trauma episode has been triggered.

 

"Derek?" He murmurs, moving past Scott and kneeling next to the Omega with grace and agility. "Derek, open your eyes." The Alpha commands quietly, not harshly. The man continues to shake with his sobs, murmuring soft words that don't make any sense to the situation.

 

-

_The light is harsh when the blindfold is ripped off of his head. He's standing just outside of the van in front of a house in the woods, it's much bigger than his own, which was a feat to accomplish. His tears are dried to his face, but he can't scrub the odd feeling that it gives him away because of the ropes tying his wrists behind his back._

 

_A man comes from the house, followed by a woman and someone he recognizes immediately._

 

_"Uncle Peter?" He rasps in confusion, voice hoarse from screaming and crying. His uncle merely smiles, waving at him eagerly as he's ushered forward to the strange man and woman before him. His wrist and ankle ties are cut, he wiggles his fingers as his circulation returns._

 

_"You must be little Derek, I've heard so much about you." The man says with a small smile, it looks a little forced. "Such a smart little boy, as all Omegas should be." He says quietly as he kneels down to Derek's eye level. "My name is Deucalion, but you can call me Duke." He rubs a hand over Derek's head, frowning when he flinches as pain flares from the bump he'd received during the struggle._

 

_"He put up a pretty big struggle, didn't mean to hurt him." One of his captors says when he receives a look from Duke. "He hit his head on a door." He explains._

 

_"I see, well that's all right. No harm done, nothing permanent. You're quite handsome, aren't you? What do you think Kate?" Duke asks, looking back at the woman standing behind him._

 

_"I think he's just darling, a perfect little plaything." She smiles kindly, Duke's laugh is a deep rumble that makes Derek's skin crawl. His stomach is roiling with the implications of their words._

 

_"Why have you done this? My family has done nothing to you." Derek says suddenly, gaining the attention of Duke and Kate._

 

_"Your family was going to die regardless of my arrangement with your uncle and the hunters, my boy. I merely saved you, you should thank me." He spits in the man's face._

 

_"My sister is dead, and you're to blame for not helping us!" He shouts, earning a sharp slap to the face that brings those pesky tears to his eyes._

 

_"I am your Alpha and you will show me respect. Your family is dead, you are my property and will be obedient to my commands." The man hisses, grabbing him by the arm. "Do you understand?" He squeezes tightly until Derek squirms from the pressure._

 

_"Uncle Peter, help me!" He begs, but the man just glances away uncomfortably._

 

_"Your uncle is one of the reasons you're here as well, he was paid good money after assuring you'd be a good boy for us." Duke snaps, yanking him so hard that his feet fall out from under him. He hits his knees on the rocky dirt, before he's picked up and held face to face with the Alpha._

 

_"Are you going to show me respect?" He asks, teeth gritted. Derek feels the tears slipping down his cheeks, a sob working from his throat. "Stop crying, answer me." The man shakes him hard and he hiccups softly._

 

_"Please just let me go. I haven't done anything to you! I shouldn't be here!" He begs, hands grasping at Duke's arms feebly as he fights his grip. "I won't tell anyone, I swear! This didn't happen! Just let me go!" He bawls, head dropping forward as the crying begins to disable him completely._

 

_"Not much of a fighter, you were right Peter." Duke sighs with disinterest, before he's dropped to the ground suddenly. He hits the dirt with a harsh thud, the wind getting knocked out of him. Kate steps in front of him, he looks up at her, rubbing at his eyes._

 

_"Come with me, Omega. You belong to me now, you listen to everything I say, ya hear?" She says, voice giving no room for argument. He thinks about arguing, but his interactions with Duke leave him pausing. "Hear me?" Kate repeats._

 

_"Yes ma'am." He mumbles with a sniffle, she smiles, it's a cold smile that makes him wish to be held by his mother._

 

_"Good boy." The compliment is deprecating and almost sarcastic. "Follow me." He pushes himself to his feet, stumbling along after her. His uncle doesn't look at him, Derek feels more alone than ever before._

 

_-_

 

It takes about five minutes for Derek's sobbing to die down, breathing becoming even as he begins to return to reality. Everyone else had made themselves scarce, but Stiles keeps a close watch over the Omega, sitting right next to him as he comes back.

 

His eyes crack open and he peers over at Stiles in confusion, Stiles smiles warmly.

 

"Welcome back, that was quite a fit." He says softly, Derek frowns as he starts to push himself into a sitting position. "Your ribs still hurt?" He questions, Derek shakes his head. "Good, you still have a healing factor then. All we need to do is get rid of that nasty fever and cough and you're good to go." He smiles.

 

"Go where?" Derek asks groggily, slouching forward as he rubs at his eyes to rid himself of the remnants of his tears.

 

"It was just an expression." Stiles says awkwardly.

 

"How long was I out?" The Omega asks quietly with a cough, cheeks red with either fever or embarrassment, Stiles couldn't tell.

 

"About five minutes..." He falls silent for a moment while Derek sits there, scrubbing at his face and breathing quietly. "You have flashbacks often?" He asks quietly.

 

"Depends." He mutters.

 

"On what?"

 

"It happens a lot when I'm roughed around." The Omega tells him with a shrug, Stiles frowns while slumping back, using his hands to hold him up.

 

"You get roughed around a lot?" Stiles can tell he's slightly annoyed, but it's better than slightly terrified. He'd rather Derek think of him as annoying rather than scary.

 

"You get used to it." Stiles doesn't like those words, he really doesn't. Erica said that about her epilepsy before she was turned, Stiles said it about his nightmares. Getting familiar with something painful doesn't make it all right, it never should. Stiles shouldn't pry too much more, Derek's probably stretched thin, looking quite exhausted.

 

"We should get you upstairs and into bed." He says after a moment, Derek blinks at him in confusion, flinching when he reaches forward to press his hand on the Omega's forehead. "You're running a fever, you're sick and tired. You need sleep and medical attention." Derek flinches at the words 'medical attention' and that's something he doesn't want to even begin to ask about.

 

"Why do you care so much about me?" The man asks quietly, Stiles smiles.

 

"My father used to say I was born to care about people, just like my mother." He can't help but have a fond smile on his face, Derek just looks more uncomfortable. "Plus, you look like you could use someone to care for you." He shrugs, Derek lets out a bitter scoff.

 

"How does someone look like they need someone to care for them?" He asks wryly, Stiles sighs.

 

"When the light in their eyes in gone, seeming sad and empty. Especially when they have an attitude that screams they want to be left alone for eternity." He mutters, a sort of raw look in Derek's eyes reveals that the light is indeed still there, just hidden carefully. But then it's gone again, tucked away behind a mask of uncertainty.

 

"Okay." Derek says hollowly, standing up slowly.

 

"I've got a friend that's a nurse, she should be by later to check you out. But for now, you can sleep and stuff." He says as they reach the room, Derek walks over to the bed carefully, almost as if he's afraid it's going to hurt him.

 

"The bed isn't going to bite, go ahead." He teases, Derek scowls at him before climbing in hesitantly. He sinks against the pillow with a soft sigh that brings a smile to Stiles' face. "Relax for a while, I'll be in my room if you need me just holler." He explains before backing out, Derek's eyes are still watching him as he backs out of the room and shuts the door.

 

 


	4. The Past Is Heavier Than You Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melissa treats Derek, who seems quite uncomfortable around a woman. It's horrifying to think of some people's normalcies are other's tragedies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( DID YOU HEAR!? All fifty states have legalized gay marriage!!! A joyous day indeed! Celebrate with a new chapter! )

Stiles takes a nap on the couch, and when he wakes up to the door being knocked on, he realizes he has a blanket over him. One of his pack mates probably did it, such sweethearts. He stands up and stretches, back cracking as he groans in relief. The Alpha walks over to the front door and opens it, finding Melissa closing her umbrella and settling it against the wall next to the door. She smiles at him, he invites her in.

 

"So, Scott said you saved him in the woods? Was he lost?" Scott was a serious idiot, he gave the worst half-ass explanations sometimes. He gathers his thoughts for a moment, sighing softly as he runs a hand through his sleep tussled hair.

 

"He was being drowned by other wolves." He tells the woman, who's eyes widen, mouth dropping open.

 

"Oh my God, that's awful." She murmurs, shifting her medical bag from one hand to the other. "Was there a reason?"

 

"I'm not sure yet, I was hesitant to ask. He was so confused and upset when he woke up, and he had some sort of flashback... I just decided to let him sleep for a while." He shrugs, she nods as they ascend the stairs. "Try not to move too quickly, he's jumpy." He explains, before knocking on the door and opening it a little.

 

Derek's sitting in front of the window, staring out at the rain, he's got the bed's comforter wrapped around his shoulders. He turns to look at Stiles when he enters, seemingly neutral, but then Melissa steps into the room and he sort of blanches, heart rate picking up.

 

"This is Melissa, she's Scott's mom." He introduces carefully, gesturing between the two. "Melissa, this is Derek."

 

"Scott's the one that tackled me." Derek says softly, Melissa frowns. "You look like him." The Omega informs her, tone neutral.

 

"I'm sure Scott didn't intend to hurt you, he's a sweetheart." She steps forward, Derek's eyes dart around like he's looking for an escape route. The woman kneels down a few feet in front of him. "I heard you were sick." She says quietly.

 

"I've had worse." Derek shrugs, eyes concentrated on the woman, like he doesn't want to look away in case she tries to murder him.

 

"Doesn't mean you should turn down medical attention." There's that flinch again, Derek's hands tug the comforter more snugly around him. He offers a small glance to Stiles, eyes begging the Alpha to object.

 

"It's just an exam." Stiles assures him, sitting down on the foot of the bed. "Nothing to be afraid of."

 

Derek looks between the two for a moment, before breaking the silence with a cough that leaves him covering his mouth and gasping for air. He glares down at his lap, as if disappointed and angry in himself for giving up his 'healthy' ruse which wasn't too plausible from his state. He was pale with his cheeks ruddy, shivering slightly.

 

"That's a nasty cough, I could probably get you some medicine... Or at least get Stiles to find you some cough drops." She adds the last part when Derek hits his back against the wall at the word 'medicine'.

 

"No needles, no sedatives." He demands roughly, Melissa nods with a smile. She shuffles forward on her knees, and starts checking him over. Stiles eventually convinces him to drop his comforter and remove his shirt. There are a few bruises, but nothing broken, soon he'd be completely healed. She checks his lymph nodes, takes his temperature, listens to his lungs.

 

Derek eventually reveals that his knees are quite bruised up and bloodied from being forced to kneel down in the rocks in the river. When Melissa goes to examine them, she accidently places her hand on Derek's thigh just above his knee. Derek slaps her hand away, before placing both arms over his crotch area and avoiding her eyes. Melissa gives Stiles a worried look, and Stiles' expression probably mirrors it.

 

"That's it I believe, you did good, Derek." Melissa smiles at him kindly, he's still refusing to look at her, but nods to relay that he's listening. "Might need some cough drops, a fever reducer maybe, some syrup of sorts." She explains, Derek doesn't look too happy about that.

 

"I'll taste it first, if it'll make you happy. Not promising it'll taste good, but it won't hurt you." Stiles tells him with a shrug, Derek nods once more, silent. He turns around to look out the window, staring out at the blurry gray sky and dark woods underneath it. "You seem to really like that window." He comments.

 

"It's a nice view." Derek says softly as Melissa gets up, Stiles makes to follow her out. "I never got to look outside too much." The Omega elaborates, looking over at Stiles as he reaches the door.

 

"Stay right there, make yourself comfortable. I'm gonna talk to Melissa, and I'll maybe bring you some stuff. You hungry? Thirsty? I can get you almost anything to amuse yourself, books or whatever." He suggests, watching Derek's cautious expression as the cogs in his mind turn.

 

"Some water? Maybe a pencil and paper?" He asks softly, Stiles smiles and nods.

 

"Of course, I'll be back." He assures before walking out and shutting the door behind him.

 

"I'm sure you can tell that boy has been abused." Melissa sighs to him as they head down the stairs and into the kitchen, where everyone's standing and sitting around waiting for them.

 

"Yeah, I figured it out." Stiles mutters as he grabs a cold bottle of water from the fridge. "Anyone got a notepad or a sketchbook or something?" He asks as he digs around in the kitchen utility drawers, finding a pencil. "Derek asked for a pencil and paper."

 

"Why did he want that?" Scott asks curiously, Stiles shrugs.

 

"I dunno, but the guy deserves whatever he wants right now. He told me he didn't get to look outside much and he's attached to the fucking window." He grumbles, angry at the people who did this to him.

 

"He was abused?" Scott asks as his mother hugs him, she nods. "Did you see any marks on him?"

 

"There are some scars from God knows what, but he could have been covered in bruises and his healing factor would have hidden it." He finds a notepad with a good amount of paper and makes a small victory noise. "Melissa barely touched his leg and he put his hands over his privates like he expected her to touch him." He shakes his head.

 

"Rough." Erica says quietly.

 

"Someone needs to go on a grocery run, I made a list this morning." Stiles grabs the list and writes down some things for Derek, including cough drops and something to knock down his fever. "Get ice cream or something, the guy is so pitiful." He pleads as Jordan takes the list and observes it.

 

"Got it boss." Jordan gives him a salute, grinning as he walks past him and heads towards the door, Lydia in tow.

 

When Stiles gets back upstairs, Derek's still looking out the window, he's got his arms resting on the window sill. His head is resting on the sill and his eyes are drooping slightly like he's falling asleep where he sits. Stiles walks over to him and sits down, smiling as he hands the water over. Derek uncaps it and takes a few sips from it, offering wary glances to Stiles as if there's a catch.

 

When Stiles doesn't stop him, he takes a big gulp and then recaps the bottle, settling it on the window sill more than half empty. The Alpha hands over the pencil and notepad, Derek's face lights up. He rests the pad against his leg and begins doodling, Stiles smiles.

 

"You like to draw?" He asks quietly, Derek nods.

 

"It's been a while, so I probably suck." He murmurs to the Alpha, hand steady as it sketches across the pad. "But it's fun anyway."

 

"How long has it been?" Stiles asks casually, hoping to coax some information from Derek without interrogating him.

 

"Dunno, a few years?" Derek shrugs without looking up, eyes concentrated on his paper. "Let's see..." He hums softly. "What year is it?" He asks, looking up at Stiles. The question makes his heart stutter, stop, then pick back up a little faster. Derek didn't know what year it was?

 

"Um, 2015, March." He mutters, Derek frowns before looking down at his paper.

 

"So my birthday passed. Hm. I'm nineteen." He says quietly, almost nonchalantly.

 

"You didn't know how old you were?" Stiles questions, Derek shakes his head as he makes a large swoop with his pencil on the paper before erasing a bit of it.

 

"You lose track of time in my room, days turn to weeks, weeks turn to months. Years pass, the only thing you know is that you're getting taller." Derek explains, voice a little cold. "S'been almost eight years, felt like forty." He huffs.

 

"You've been with Duke for eight years?" He thought maybe Derek had been taken recently that they were saving him from future trauma. But he'd already been in trouble for so much longer.

 

"Almost eight, I was taken in October. Just after Laura's birthday." His pencil pauses on the pad, staring down at his paper. "She'd be almost twenty-four." He murmurs, before his pencil moves once more.

 

"Who's Laura?" Stiles asks, watching Derek's pencil hesitate once more but it doesn't take long for it to pick back up again.

 

"My sister." Derek mumbles, shaking his head a little.

 

"Is she-" He lets the question hang in the air, Derek sighs and glances out the window.

 

"Dead." He finishes harshly, glaring up at Stiles. "She's dead. Just like the rest of my family." He snaps.

 

"Sorry, I'm sorry." He apologizes softly, staying quiet as Derek's drawing gets a little rougher, waiting for him to calm down. "What's your last name?" He questions when the drawing goes smoother, easier, his shoulders less tense.

 

"Hale." He grumbles, before tossing the pad away from him, dropping the pencil on the carpet. They land between them, Stiles' fingers fidget for a moment before reaching out to pick up the pad. It's quite breathtaking, a picture of the window and the scenery outside. It's not perfect, but the details are intricate even though they're a basic sketch.

 

He expected a doodle, not an artist's work.

 

"This is great, you're very good." He whispers, Derek nods as he stares out the window, hand running through his hair repeatedly. "Derek, why was Duke trying to drown you?" He asks hesitantly. Derek shakes his head, staring out the window.

 

"I don't know." His heart stutters on the lie, Stiles sighs.

 

"Did you do something bad?" He questions, Derek shakes his head. "Then why are you protecting them?"

 

"You'll send me back." The Omega croaks, face crumpling up as tears well in his eyes.

 

"No, no I won't." He promises, shifting forward slightly to rest a hand on his arm, thumb moving in soothing circles.

 

"You will, they'll come after you. You won't think twice about handing me over for the safety of your pack." Derek mumbles, Stiles reaches out with his other hand. To touch him, comfort him, hold him, but Derek jerks away. "I don't want to talk anymore." He sniffs, a few tears streaking his cheeks as he grabs the comforter and hurries over to the bed. He disappears somewhere under the covers.

 

Stiles listens to his heart race a little too fast, Derek stifling his tears and holding back choked sobs. Stiles stands up and grabs Derek's water bottle, listening to him cough through his tears and gasp through his sobs. He sets the bottle on the bedside table, and walks to the door. Derek obviously doesn't respond too well to touch, and his comfort seems to be unwanted, might as well let him tucker himself out.

 

"I'll be back later on... Maybe with some food or something. Try to calm down and sleep, Derek. You need it." He says to the heap of blanket on the bed, before turning and closing the door behind him.

 

 


	5. Sleep Beckons, But We Cannot Succumb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a quiet evening, most of the pack retreat to their rooms. Stiles is left alone watching TV, until he's joined by Derek.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( Hope you guys enjoy the new update! It's pretty damn cute. )

Stiles tells the others some of the things that Derek had said, leaving them all quiet and deep in thought. The idea of risking all of their lives for one person seems absurd, but at the same time, they'd be virtually hanging him if they turn him over to the other wolves. Eventually, everyone retreated towards their rooms for the night, leaving the house dark and almost completely silent.

 

The rain has slowed once more, to a simple pitter patter that surrounds them. Stiles himself is still in the living room, TV on low and the screen emitting a soft glow that lights up the room. He can't focus though, he's quite tired today after everything that happened, yet he doesn't want to sleep. Or perhaps, his mind is too active to even propose sleep. So he sits on the couch, staring at the screen as the people move across the screen, talking of their own problems and lives that don't even exist.

 

"Can I sit with you?" He jerks, startled as he looks to his left near the staircase where Derek stands. He's wearing a pair of boxers (Which are definitely Scott's because Jordan and Stiles wear boxer-briefs, and no, you don't need to know why he knows that.) and a sweatshirt that is a little big on him (That's definitely Jordan's because that would be even bigger on Stiles and Scott's not one for sweatshirts.), with a slightly nervous look on his face.

 

"Of course." He scoots over and Derek is light and quick on his feet to sit down on the other side of the couch, keeping a safe distance from him. "Aren't you tired?" He questions softly, Derek's eyes are glued to the screen before them, but he offers a small nod. "Probably scary staying in a strange place." He receives an almost invisible shrug of the Omega's shoulder as a response.

 

"Too dark and quiet, reminds me of my room." Derek says softly, sinking back against the couch cushions and pulling his feet up to hug them against his chest.

 

"Your room at Duke's?" He murmurs, Derek's head turns slightly to observe him for a moment, he nods. "What was it like?" Derek turns his head away, looking at the TV once more. "You don't have to tell me, if you don't want to." He assures softly.

 

"Nothing really to tell. Four walls, a floor and a ceiling." Derek says with a one shouldered shrug.

 

"Nothing else at all?" Stiles whispers.

 

"There was a door, no windows. There was one light, really bright, the switch wasn't in the room. Sometimes they'd leave it on, sometimes they'd turn it off. I liked it better on, made everything feel bigger." He explains, Stiles is a little surprised at the length of his statement, Derek had seemed so reluctant to share earlier.

 

"What about the bathroom?"

 

"There was a bucket."

 

Stiles cannot believe this, such malice and evil done towards a child who had done absolutely nothing to deserve it.

 

"We could leave the light on in your room, or maybe get you a nightlight." The Alpha suggests, Derek shrugs once more.

 

"This isn't long term, shouldn't waste your money on something that won't be of use to you in the future." He mumbles, Stiles sighs.

 

"We are not going to just hand you over to them, Derek. Why would they bother? They were trying to kill you!" Stiles exclaims quietly.

 

"The pack will need me as leverage. The hunters will be going after them, looking for me." And that was the time Stiles' heart came to a complete stop for the longest time he's ever experienced. He blinks, then blinks again, remembers how to breathe.

 

"Why is that?" He asks hesitantly.

 

"She wouldn't share... She... I didn't- I should have. But now they're gonna die, and I'll be taken away with _her_." Derek whispers, hugging his knees tighter and hiding his face behind them. Stiles wants to ask so many more questions, who is _she_? What did that entire thing even mean? What the fuck was this poor Omega entangled in?! But he looks over at Derek and realizes a twelve year old boy was taken away from his family, abused and neglected. And what came out was a confused nineteen year old, who wants nothing more than to be safe.

 

"C'mere Derek." He murmurs, Derek peeks over his arm and knee, eyes alight with nerves and curiosity. "It's all right, just come here." He assures, patting the spot next to him. The young man releases his hold on his legs, lowering them to the floor slowly before cautiously scooting a little closer. "If I wanted to hurt you, I would have done it already." That causes Derek to pause.

 

"You're strong." The Omega says softly, eyes scattering across Stiles' entire body. "Powerful."

 

"Yeah, so you should stick with me. I can protect you." Stiles smiles kindly, gesturing the other closer. "C'mon." Derek stops just inches away from Stiles, eyes focusing on his own lap. "You said your room reminded you of your old room. Your old room didn't have a warm Alpha, a comfy couch, and a nice TV did it?" He asks, Derek shakes his head warily.

 

Stiles wraps an arm around Derek's back, strong hand gently placed on the other's side before he tugs him a little closer until their sides are touching. Derek is stiff where he sits, but Stiles just carefully squeezes his side before moving his hand to rub up and down his arm.

 

"You're a weird guy, Stiles." Derek mumbles, Stiles grins.

 

"I love weird, weirdness is just another way of saying unique." He explains with a wave of his hand. "You see, I told you about being just like my mother, correct?" He waits for Derek's hesitant nod before continuing. "My mom loved people, she was always doing something for someone. She loved to paint, she loved to create, she loved to make everyone smile." He smirks as Derek rests his head against his shoulder hesitantly.

 

"We rescued cats, dogs, anything off the street. We had a few homeless teenagers stay in our guest room until they got jobs. She was the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, and by far the most inspirational." The Alpha tells him with a laugh. "She was a bit of an outcast in high school, too ungraceful and wild. My dad says that she used to come to his window and throw rocks at it, convince him to sneak out to do things like watch the stars and go skinny dipping in the lake." He snorts, remembering the way his mother's cheeks heated up when an eight year old version of himself had asked what skinny dipping was.

 

"What was her name?" Derek whispers tiredly, Stiles adjusts his arm and pulls him a little closer to where he's leaning against the Alpha's side.

 

"Claudia. Her name was Claudia." He sighs, tilting his head to rest it against Derek's.

 

"My mom would have liked her." The Omega yawns, Stiles finds himself achieving a sort of cure to his unrest then.

 

"Yeah?" His eyes droop, the light of the TV fading out as he closes them.

 

"My whole family, yeah." He feels a small nod against his shirt, Derek giving his own wistful sigh. "Miss 'em."

 

"Yeah, I understand." Stiles agrees, finally dropping off into sleep.

 

-

 

Stiles awakes to a warm weight atop his chest, moving slightly to find that the weight shifts above him before settling. The Alpha blinks his eyes open, finding the top of a head against his chest, Derek. The Omega is sprawled on him, clinging to his sides and breathing softly. He brings a hand up and pets the young man's head, who makes a sleepy noise and nuzzles his face against Stiles' shirt.

 

He hears a chuckle, looking to the side to find Boyd eating a bowl of cereal on the love seat and looking at him.

 

"He's been making a lot of noises in his sleep." The Beta comments with a smirk. "But he seems pretty content on staying there, I tried to move him but he held onto you so tight that your upper body moved off the couch when I pulled on him." He snorts, putting another spoonful of cereal into his mouth.

 

"What time is it?" He asks, shifting onto his side and pulling the Omega with him, holding him close so he won't fall off the edge. He notices then that someone had placed a pillow under his head, and apparently there was a blanket on them which is now on the floor. Derek curls up closer to him, tucking his face under Stiles' chin and against his throat. "Jeez, he's a cuddly fellow."

 

"Eight thirty." Boyd says, checking his phone. "I'd suspect so, if he's been neglected I doubt they'd show him affection." Stiles thinks about that for a moment, years of isolation, no friendly touches or hugs. Full moons are killer without pack mates around, make you itchy and lonely. Different wolves work different ways, the moon's pull works differently for each one. Some are playful and hyper, some get agitated when they aren't shifted, he knows that Erica and Boyd get pretty horny considering they always escape to their room for the night on full moons, and there are some who just enjoy affection.

 

Stiles tries to think of a world where he had no friends, no family to be around for almost eight full years. He squeezes Derek a little tighter, kissing the top of his head gently. Derek mumbles something in his sleep, before shifting, heartbeat changing pace as he begins to wake up. He stills suddenly, pulse racing as he becomes aware of his surroundings.

 

"St-Stiles?" The Omega murmurs tensely, Stiles loosens his grasp on him.

 

"We fell asleep, it's cool." He assures, Derek nods slowly, hair tickling Stiles' chin. Boyd is staring at them, hiding his smile badly with every spoon of cereal, obviously amused. Derek doesn't move though, just stays still, heart thudding intensely against Stiles' upper stomach. He squeezes Stiles suddenly, rubbing his cheek against the Alpha's throat before scooting back and placing his feet on the floor to stand.

 

"Sorry." He apologizes quietly, clearing his throat.

 

"It's fine dude, cuddling is definitely a Stilinski Pack constant." He says with a smile, turning onto his back again and stretching. He looks over once more and finds Derek still standing there, cheeks red as he shuffles uncomfortably. He's not really dirty, having been dunked in a river, but he's not entirely clean. Plus, his hair was out of control, stubble forming on his cheeks. This meant that he was shaved beforehand, which was odd. They groomed his face but not his hair?

 

"You're looking like a caveman dude, why don't you go take a shower and then you can shave and stuff." He suggests, Derek nods warily but doesn't move. "I'll show you the bathroom, c'mon." He leads Derek upstairs and shows him where to go, and how to use the shower (He understood using a stranger's shower was tough because the controls were like NASA instruments if you weren't used to them.) before heading off to find him some regular clothes.

 

When he returns, the shower is running. He opens the door and places the clothes on the counter. "Clothes are on the sink, dude." He calls out before slipping out the door once more. He heads off to get everyone up, well, Scott and Erica really. Jordan and Lydia were not going to be disturbed because Lydia timed her sleep and had an alarm and if you woke her up before her alarm, you were dead. Jordan was already at work probably, still working for the police station. It was nice to have someone still at the station.

 

Since...... No, he wasn't going to think about it.

 

He throws a pillow at Erica, because he is not getting near Catwoman's claws so early in the morning. And then he throws a shoe at her and she agrees to wake up in a few minutes. Scott is still attempting to mope because his girlfriend is out of town for a few days because he's a little baby, so Stiles has to climb atop him and drag him off the bed.

 

He wrestles with his Beta for a few minutes until they're both breathless from laughing, Scott staring up at him with eyes sparkling.

 

"Thanks man." His best friend sighs with a smile.

 

"No problem."

 

He walks down the hall, stopping by the bathroom door. The shower is off, he knocks on the door. "Doing okay, Derek?" He asks, not able to hold back his concern. The door opens, revealing Derek with a single stripe of hair gone from his stubble that ends with a bloody cut. Derek is holding the razor in his hand, looking guilty and ashamed..

 

"I don't know how to shave." He admits quietly, looking thoroughly embarrassed and upset. "Or cut my hair." He adds.

 

"Jeez, dude. Did you try to dig into your face with that thing? Lemme help." He moves into the bathroom, leading Derek along behind him. He sits Derek down on the toilet, rinsing off the razor after taking it from the Omega and grabbing the shaving cream from inside the cabinet. "Anyone ever teach you how?" When he gets a nervous shake of the head in response, he sighs.

 

"She did it for me." He mumbles.

 

"Okay, well that's okay. I'll teach you how to shave, and then Lydia can cut your hair. Because between us.." He looks around before leaning forward to whisper conspiratorially. "Only the girls here know how to cut hair correctly. I used to buzz cut myself before Lydia started cutting my hair for me." He murmurs, Derek smirks slightly.

 

"Really?" He whispers.

 

"Hell yeah, Lydia knows everything. Cutting hair, clothes especially, she'll take you out and get you some nice clothes to wear too." He assures, before taking some shaving cream onto his fingers and smearing it along Derek's cheeks. "Anyone can shave, just takes a little practice." He assures with a smile, taking Derek's hand in his own and placing the razor in it.

 

He leads Derek's hand through it once, avoiding his cut. "It might be better in the mirror." He lets Derek stand and then takes his place beside him to help him do another smooth stroke. "Got it?" He lets Derek do it, letting him get a handle on it. "Easy right?"

 

"Not that hard." Derek approves, leaning forward and continuing. "Thanks." He mutters quietly, Stiles takes his hand to rinse the razor off again.

 

"No big deal." Stiles shrugs. Once Derek's finished, Stiles looks his face over and smiles. "Look at that handsome face, a haircut and you'll get all the ladies." He laughs, Derek smiles shyly.

 

"Don't really like girls." He explains nervously, which makes Stiles frown. He wonders if it has to do with that so-called _her_ he talks of.

 

"Well that's okay, I'm sure you'll get lots of guys as well." He turns and opens the door, Derek follows him out. Lydia's walking down the hall in her pajamas. "Lyds, can you cut Derek's hair later?" He asks, she nods and continues past them. "You'll be lookin' sharp in no time buddy." He claps Derek on the shoulder.

 

"Thanks, really Stiles... Thank you."

 

"Don't mention it, man." Stiles grins, disappearing down the stairs.


	6. Unnecessary Jealousy Sets In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek is definitely not his, but Stiles can't help but feel like he should be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( Whoo! A new chapter, about damn time, right? XD )

The haircut takes place around lunch time, Lydia ushering Derek outside onto the porch. Stiles follows, not because he doesn't trust Lydia, but because Derek probably doesn't (Then again, he's been hovering around Derek all morning for some odd reason.) So he sits patiently on the porch swing while Derek sits on a stool, Lydia combing his hair with a damp comb and organizing the slightly thick hair that reached over Derek's ears and halfway down his neck when wet. His bangs were a particularly humorous sight, when not brushed away they hung over his eyes.

 

"I know the best cut for you." Lydia says quietly, before setting to work. It's a slow process, Lydia's hands move precisely and gracefully. Derek's hair is cut away, the back of his neck shaved. And then all that's left is a damp top bit of slightly long hair, Lydia dries it with a towel thoroughly before gelling it up with a few quick swipes of her fingers.

 

"Voila, a normal human being." She smiles, offering Derek a mirror. He looks at himself with a slight frown before his lips quirk up a little.

 

"Like it?" Stiles asks, standing up to observe him from the front. He looks rather handsome, cleanly shaved with his hair sticking up with just enough gel to keep it there. His eyes sparkle in the outside light, green with flecks of brown in them. He nods with a smile, lips parting to reveal bunny teeth. "I think you look rather dashing." He comments, the tips of Derek's ears grow red as he lowers his eyes in embarrassment.

 

"Thank you, Lydia." Derek murmurs, standing up, she pats his shoulder.

 

"Of course, now all we need is to get you clothes... Have a sense of style?" She questions with a raise of her perfect eyebrows.

 

"The last clothing choice I made was to get a pair of light up sneakers that had SpongeBob on them." Derek says, tone flat. Stiles snorts in surprise, wondering if he's serious or attempting dry humor. But then Derek smiles, and he knows that it was a joke.

 

"Well that's all right, because Stiles still tries to buy light up sneakers with SpongeBob on them." Lydia says, Stiles makes a noise of outrage as Derek laughs.

 

"Those were classy sneakers, Lydia. Every step was an explosion of lights and I would be wearing SpongeBob too.. That's like a double whammy!" He exclaims, Lydia rolls her eyes. "The SpongeBob overlord will find you Lydia, and he'll send you to Rock Bottom... Where there's no Krabby Patties, and no bubbles." That gets an exasperated smirk from Lydia as she gathers her supplies and disappears back inside.

 

"You're gonna look so nice, I'm so proud." He says to Derek, who's cheeks turn a splotchy pink color. "An adorable Omega, dressed all nice with his hair trimmed." He finds himself saying, before his own cheeks tint with a blush.

 

"You think I'd be a suitable mate?" The words are a shock through Stiles' system, watching Derek rock back and forth on his heels bashfully. "For some wolf out there?" And that extra sentence makes everything in Stiles' body get doused with cold water. The idea of someone with their hands on Derek, they wouldn't know how to treat him right!

 

"I-I... I think you'd make a fine mate.. Any wolf would be extremely lucky to have you." He says quietly.

 

With that, they step inside, and Derek stands awkwardly until Stiles tells him he can do whatever he wants. He watches as Derek hovers for a moment while staring at Stiles, who remains motionless.

 

"What... What are you gonna do?" He questions.

 

"I dunno, I was thinking about making some cookies." He decides, the Omega nods slowly.

 

"Can I help?"

 

"Do you know how?" And with those words, Derek deflates a little, turning his head to the floor. "It's okay if you don't, I was just wondering. You could always just keep me company in the kitchen." He assures.

 

"I don't really remember... But, you probably don't want me in your way." The other mumbles quietly.

 

"Nonsense, dude. I'm always up for taking my time and chatting while baking. It's my favorite thing to do!" He grins, Derek looks up at him with a small smile.

 

"So I can help?" He whispers, a little in awe. Stiles agrees, unable to resist that cute little excited look Derek sends him as they walk into the kitchen.

 

-

 

By the time the cookies are finished, they're both dusted with flour and Stiles has learned a little more about Derek. Apparently he's allergic to cinnamon, which is good to know. It's funny, because his little Beta Liam (who was off visiting his father in Wyoming) was allergic to it as well. Derek also loves animals with a passion, and he was the second youngest in his family. Apparently he had an older and younger sister, along with an older brother. Although he wasn't up for talking about them in detail, he did mention it as a passing topic.

 

When the cookies are pulled from the oven, they wait a few minutes before scraping a few of them from the pan and onto a plate. They made three dozen, because Scott and Jordan are cookie psychos and will eat about a little over a half dozen each in one sitting. The chocolate chips are warm and gooey, sticking to Derek's lips as he eats. It's an awesome experience, watching his face alight in pleasure and happiness as he bites into a cookie and sips at his milk.

 

When Scott gets home with Kira from the airport a little while later, they join them.

 

"Nice to meet you, Derek." Kira offers her hand with a bright smile, Derek gives a shy smile and shakes her hand timidly.

 

"So, having a good time?" Scott asks him, folding a cookie in half and shoving one part into his mouth.

 

"It's nice... It's been a while since I've been in the presence of such a caring Alpha." The Omega says quietly, tipping his glass back to drink the final sip of his milk. When Stiles offers him more, he shakes his head with a smile.

 

"That's a shame." Kira says quietly, but then perks up a little. "Well, Stiles is a great Alpha to be around. He's really sweet." She tells him, Derek nods in agreement. Stiles' face feels hot under such attention.

 

"I started to believe that there wasn't any Alpha but my own that cared about their pack's wellbeing." Derek folds his arms on the table, resting his chin against them.

 

"If Duke isn't your Alpha, who is?" Scott questions hesitantly.

 

"My mother was... But.. That was a long time ago, before the attack and everything." He mutters.

 

"So your pack was ambushed?" Stiles' tongue darts out to wet his lips, anxious to hear more about this story.

 

"Hunters. We'd been having some issues with a treaty, my mother would have to homeschool us if we agreed, they didn't want to risk their kids getting hurt.. That's one of the reasons I still remember. Stupid really, I'd take homeschooling over being part of..." His voice trails off and he sighs.

 

"You were involved in things like that? You were a little young..." The Alpha comments softly.

 

"Twelve, a future strategist and right hand man... I was learning by watching, and my uncle.." His voice cracks slightly on his last word, and he takes in a shaky inhale. "I'd rather not continue down this path, truthfully." He admits, Stiles nods.

 

"Yeah, sure." They all agree, and Scott comes up with the next topic of conversation.

 

-

 

Stiles is not a light sleeper, he's not really a heavy sleeper, but it would take a decent amount of racket to wake him. Which is why he's startled awake when his door creaks open extremely loud. And he sits completely still, because his instincts tell him that it's a demon from hell come to eat his flesh and paint the walls with his blood. Then a dark pair of hands come up to rest on the edge of his bed, and he is ready to piss his pants.

 

There's something you should know about Stiles' bed, it's a little alcove in the wall. So he's got a queen bed that's inside an area the size of that bed, with three walls and one opening, and there's a pair of hands at the opening. He's gonna die, he's gonna get murdered and he can't even try to run for his life because his comfy little alcove has officially screwed him. He reaches back and turns on the light in the overhead of the alcove, and looks over the bed.

 

Derek scrambles away from the edge of the bed, falling back on his bottom and staring up at him with wide glassy eyes. His cheeks and the skin around his eyes are red and irritated like he's been wiping at them, his eyes light up that icy blue glow and fill with unshed tears.

 

"I'm sorry, Alpha. I did-didn't mean to disturb you!" He stammers nervously, afraid. "I was just going to s-sleep on the floor, be gone before you got up! But then... Then the door made a noise and your heart rate changed and I wanted to-to see if you were actually awake!" He explains rapidly, chest jumping with panicked breaths.

 

"It's fine, Derek. No harm done..." He assures softly, Derek flinches slightly, licking at his lips anxiously. He doesn't seem to believe the Alpha's words. "Come here, what's wrong?" He questions softly, holding his arms out. Derek rises to his feet slowly, eyes flickering over him as the blue glow in them fade.

 

"I... There was... He tried to..." And then there's a choked sob that forces itself from his throat, tears spilling down his face.

 

"Hey, hey..." He murmurs, reaching out and pulling him forward by the arm before tugging him into the bed by the waist. Stiles shoves the blankets back, pulling the Omega over his lap and into the spot next to him. "You're all right, yeah?" He shifts the blankets over his legs and sits back against the alcove wall, pulling Derek's head to rest against his shoulder. "I'm not going to let anyone hurt you anymore." Those words forced another wail from the other, who clings to Stiles suddenly, like if he lets go he's going to be sucked back into his past.

 

Stiles' heart is in his throat, to listen to this Omega cry was like someone stabbing him repeatedly in the chest. "Shhh... I'm right here, you're safe." He whispers, combing his fingers through Derek's hair until he's a little more calm. One of the young man's hands is gripping Stiles' side like a vice, the other clenched in his shirt. "Lay down for me, Derek." He says softly, voice gentle enough not to be harsh, but stern enough to get the other to listen.

 

Stiles gets Derek to shift down onto Stiles' spare pillow, sniffling and hiccupping quietly.  He spends a few moments wiping at the Omega's eyes, before turning to the light dimmer. He lowers it until the light is less intense, a soft glow above them. Then he moves forward before settling down on his pillow once more. He lays on his side, facing Derek, who's looking at him with intense and glassy eyes.

 

"I'll sleep on the outside, so if anyone tries to get in, they're gonna have to put up a hell of a fight with me." He smiles softly when Derek's lips quirk up slightly.

 

"Thank you." The Omega croaks softly, sniffling to punctuate it.

 

"You're very welcome." He reaches out and wraps a hand around the back of Derek's head, bringing it forward to kiss at his forehead. "You're tired, I can tell. Sleep." The Alpha runs his hand through Derek's hair for a moment before settling it on his pillow between them. He watches Derek's eyes struggle to stay open, but lose the battle quickly, slipping shut. He's out in a minute, Stiles lets his own eyes close.

 

-

 

"STILES! DEREK IS-" Stiles' eyes fly open, head jerking to look back and find Jordan standing at the opening of the alcove of his bed, mouth hanging open slightly. He turns his head back towards the warm body snuggled in his embrace, the soft nape of Derek's neck that Stiles' face had been pressed against. The arm holding his own draped over Derek's waist as he sleeps without the knowledge of Parrish's presence.

 

"He had a rough night." He mutters, voice hoarse with sleep. "I let him sleep with me."

 

"Oh... Um... Yeah, of course." Jordan shifts awkwardly. "You two didn't- like..." His voice trails off, and Stiles feels his irritated sleepy state mix with his own protectiveness of Derek before he growls low in his throat. "Sorry, I'm leaving." He makes his escape without another word, Stiles turns back to find Derek shifting in his hold. The Omega turns over, eyes cracked open as their noses almost touch. They widen comically, jerking back with a sharp inhale.

 

"It's okay... It's fine." He sits up, feeling a little dizzy at the sudden movement. "Didn't mean to wake you, Jordan saw you missing from your bed and got worried." He explains. The young man stares at him for a moment, before looking around curiously. The curtains are slightly alight with the sun's glow, barely even sunrise.

 

"What time is it?" He asks hesitantly.

 

Stiles reaches up into a shelf that's inside the alcove, pulling down his phone that's still attached to the charger, unplugging it and unlocking it. "Barely five-thirty." He groans, dropping back down to his pillow and shoving the phone under his pillow.

 

"Can... Should I go?" The Omega whispers, tense.

 

"If you want, I don't mind you staying." He shrugs tiredly, letting his eyes slip closed once more, leaving Derek to his decision. He smiles a little when the young man shifts until he's laying down once more, picking Stiles' arm up slowly and slipping into his embrace. He tucks his face under Stiles' chin, and Stiles presses a kiss to his head.

 

"I feel... Safe... Around you." Derek says, rousing Stiles a bit more. "Like nothing can hurt me when I'm with you."

 

"I'm glad." He uses the arm Derek pulled over his waist to shift the Omega closer, bodies pressed in a snug embrace. He nuzzles his face against Derek's soft hair, breathing in deeply. He smells like Stiles' shampoo and a little bit of his own unique scent. Makes him smell claimed, like Derek is his. There's something deep in Stiles that tells him that's the way it should be.


	7. Without Consent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles and Scott argue about Derek, which leads to a few devastating facts coming to light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( My laptop broke hours after I did my last two updates on my stories, I figured that I wouldn't be able to update for a while... But my mom, being the saint she is, ordered me a new one and here I am! Also, this chapter contains a flashback with some physical torture that involves medical tools and a mention of non-con touching between Kate and Derek along with some slight victim blaming when Derek starts to believe that somehow his abuse is his fault.. There's nothing too graphic, but I thought I'd warn you. )

Maybe it was impossible to resist an unclaimed Omega, a battle not meant to be won. Derek didn't seem to mind Stiles at all, probably is the person he trusts the most at the moment. Their knees are pressed together, shoulders brushing as they sit at the table during breakfast. Parrish had left for work, Boyd had made himself something earlier and had also left for his own separate occupation (Boyd was an extremely talented cook, and worked at a restaurant about ten minutes away.)

 

So that just left Stiles, Derek, Scott, Kira, and an extremely sleepy Erica. Lydia was upstairs talking to a friend on the phone while ironing her hair. 

 

But something was tense, something Derek had yet to notice, oblivious to the world as he chews his food happily. He's got a slight smile on his face, unconscious but so heartwarming, Stiles wanted to kiss it off his face. But then again, he wouldn't press that boundary. While mates was something he considered, romantic involvement would probably be crossed out for a while. Perhaps forehead and cheek kisses, but nothing serious, nothing more than close platonic interactions. He liked the idea of spending his days cuddled up to Derek and making him feel loved.

 

Back to the tension, however...

 

Scott is glaring holes into his Alpha from across the table, eating his food steadily with his dark brown eyes attempting to melt his brain with psychic powers for all he knows. Kira has seemed to notice, looking slightly uncomfortable. Erica's still half asleep, finishes her food and heads upstairs to 'get dressed', which really means sleep for another hour. The only reason he called her down so early was for breakfast, it was only eight, she could sleep for an hour.

 

So now it's just Stiles, Derek, Scott, and Kira. Kira's throwing Stiles uncertain looks, worried and concerned. Stiles keeps it nonchalant though, eats and keeps his eyes directly away from Scott, actually looks at him once and smiles sweetly. He knows how to get under his best friend's skin, and him being pissed about something Stiles has no idea about pisses Stiles off. So Scott had indirectly started a silent battle with the ultimate master of winning arguments, silent or otherwise.

 

He nudges Derek's arm, who looks over at him curiously, still chewing. He offers a smile, and Derek smiles back just as sweetly before purposefully brushing their shoulders together with clear affection. He made Derek happy, and that made him happy, he almost forgot about Scott's little cloud of anger brewing across the table until the young man suddenly got to his feet.

 

Derek jumped slightly at the sudden movement, looking up at Scott with confusion and then with slight fear when he noticed that he didn't look too happy.

 

"Stiles, can I talk to you? In private?" Scott says stiffly, Stiles smiles kindly.

 

"Of course buddy o' mine, pal of a lifetime, my brother in arms." He stands up with grace, patting Derek's arm to soothe his nerves. As they retreat into the living room, he hears Kira start up a simple conversation with Derek, distracting him from the obvious fight that was about to happen.

 

"What the hell are you doing?" Scott snaps quietly.

 

"I was having a nice breakfast until your awful mood decided to disturb me." He rolls his eyes, and Scott crosses his arms.

 

"Parrish found you two in bed together." _That's_ what this is about? He groans and smacks a hand over his face.

 

"We're not sleeping together, he had a nightmare and I didn't think he should be alone in that state." He says simply.

 

"You're getting close to him, Stiles... Sex or not, putting the moves on this guy is wrong. It's beyond wrong, and I think your Alpha instincts are clouding your judgment." Scott tells him firmly.

 

"I'm showing him affection, Scott I don't think you understand how bad Derek's life has been. He wasn't cared for, or loved, or shown any type of worth... He was prepubescent.. And he was taken from his family only to be shown a life that was callous and cold. A developing mind surrounded by people that treated him like shit." He growls, deep in his chest. How dare his Beta question his judgment, he was in complete control.

 

"He can't even tell you anything he wants. You're gonna make him worse by being dependent on you!" Scott argues.

 

"He needs someone to depend on, Scotty... He's scared and lonely, he needs someone to show him some sort of love... I'm surprised he's not just an empty shell. He has emotions, too many for us to comprehend. Overwhelming emotions that he's going to have to sort through for years to come, maybe even the rest of his life." He rants, trying to keep his voice down. "An Omega is not meant to be confined in an unloving environment, it messes with their brains, like it would with anyone but worse. Think of the full moon, trapped all alone, crying out for your pack but nobody comes to help you through it." There's a rage bubbling in his chest, ready to burst.

 

"It's sad, Stiles. But there's a difference between small gestures of affection and trying to be with him romantically." Scott shakes his head with a soft sigh.

 

"I AM SHOWING HIM AFFECTION IN SMALL WAYS, I'VE DONE NOTHING MORE THAN SIMPLE PLATONIC GESTURES." He shouts, anger flooding through his veins.

 

Derek suddenly rushes in, looking panicked and afraid, Kira right behind him.

 

"St-Stiles?" Derek murmurs softly, hesitating near the door, like he's scared to get close.

 

"It's fine, sweetheart. Go back into the kitchen." He says sharply.

 

"See! That right there, sweetheart! You're too close to him!" Scott objects, and Stiles scoffs. "I'll prove it to you.. He can't consent to anything.." Scott turns to Derek, who's eyes are wide with confusion and fear. "Derek, if I asked you to kiss me, would you?" He questions, Stiles makes an outraged noise. Derek looks conflicted, but shakes his head slowly.

 

"Why would I kiss you?" He asks softly, gently. Stiles is ready to beat the everliving shit out of Scott.

 

"Because I told you to, what if I said I wanted you to kiss me?" Derek flinches, his hands are fidgeting at his sides.

 

"Scott maybe that's not-" Kira starts to say, when Derek suddenly lurches forward and grabs Scott's face, pressing their lips together. He squeezes his eyes shut, lips uncoordinated and unexperienced, Scott frozen with his eyes widen open. He grabs onto Derek's shoulders and pulls them apart, both looking pale and startled.

 

"No dude, I didn't... I didn't mean literally..." Scott says softly.

 

"You said you wanted me to kiss you." Derek defends weakly, eyes shifting from the Beta to his Alpha. "I-I'm sorry.. I misunderstood... I-" The Omega glances back at Kira, who looks just as shocked as Scott did. "I'm sorry." He whispers, before making a soft noise that sounds a bit like a stifled cry, taking off upstairs.

 

"Derek, wait-" Stiles sighs, looking back at his Beta. "Happy, Scott? You just about scared him out of his mind. We know he'll do anything anyone asks, you dumbass. We already covered that. He aims to please, probably from years of being forced to please someone for fear of being punished. I've never forced him, asked him, to do anything for me!" Stiles shouts. "He was finally getting comfortable with all of us, now you've gone and confused the hell out of him. You might have caused him to regress entirely."

 

"I was just trying to make a point." Scott says quietly, guilt.

 

"Yeah well, the point Derek got was that you are just as bad as his abusers." Stiles spits, turning and heading upstairs. Derek's not in his room, but he follows the frantic pace of a heartbeat further down the hall towards Stiles' own room. He pushes open the door with a loud creak, listening to Derek cry softly as he approaches the alcove. The Alpha peeks inside, finding the blankets askew and a lump underneath them curled close to the top of the bed.

 

"Derek?" He calls out softly, cringing at the heavy sob that answers. "Derek, it's okay for being confused and misunderstanding. Scott's a confusing guy, but he was just worried about you." Stiles attempts to explain, sitting on the edge of the bed and kicking off his shoes, scooting into the bed. "I haven't betrayed you, have I?" He hears Derek's crying quiet slightly, muffled sniffling the only noise left. "I'd never want to hurt you, Der. I'm only worried about keeping you feeling safe and happy." He says.

 

The lump of blanket moves slightly, away from Stiles towards the back wall, and Stiles feels his heart sink for a moment. Then suddenly the corner of the covers closer to him flips down, an offering, Stiles sheds his jeans and crawls under the covers next to Derek. It's slightly dark under the covers, but there's enough light for him to see the shadows of Derek's damp face. Listening to the soft sounds as he attempts to reign in his emotions.

 

"I'm sorry." The Omega croaks softly, sniffling again with a soft whimper.

 

"You have absolutely nothing to apologize for. Scott was extremely out of line to prove a stupid point." He explains, lifting the blanket up a little when he lifts up his arm, an invitation to move closer. It's silent and still for a moment, and Stiles almost settles his arm back down, but then Derek moves forward hesitantly. He lets himself be held in Stiles' embrace, resting his face against the Alpha's chest, the both of them just breathing quietly.

 

"Scott's going to apologize, but I want you to remember that you don't have to forgive anyone if you feel like they don't deserve your forgiveness... You can say 'thank you' and move on, and maybe they can earn your trust over time again, but you have reign over your own life. You don't have to forgive and forget, you don't have to let people tell you what to do." He tells the other softly, kissing at his hair softly, nuzzling against it.

 

"I only want to protect you." He says with conviction.

 

That's when the trembling starts, an unending flow of tremors coming from Derek's very core, shaking in Stiles' hold. Stiles isn't sure how to react at all, just keeps still and holds him firmly. He wasn't crying, just shaking, like he was bursting with energy or adrenaline with his heart racing frantically. When nothing happens but the shaking, he gets even more nervous, fearful of him going into some sort of shock or fit.

 

He pulls Derek back, looking in his eyes that are glassy and unseeing. Stiles jerks back the covers before laying him properly on his side, the possibility of a seizure weighing on his mind. But he doesn't convulse just shivers and blinks, eyes staring at nothing.

 

"Derek, can you hear me?" He murmurs, hand hesitating as it comes up to brush through the Omega's hair. It was terrifying, watching him stare at nothing, lips parted slightly, barely moving without a sound escaping them.

 

"Derek?" He pleads.

 

-

 

_"I only wanted to protect you, nephew... I couldn't stop the attack, but I knew I could save you." Peter tells him as they sit together in a windowless room. It's been a while since he'd arrived. Not too long, but he wasn't sure really. No windows, no clock, only the occasional scraps of food and Kate._

 

_Kate was hell. Touching everywhere, whispering things in a sultry voice that made him shiver and shake. She dropped by almost constantly, eager to 'play' with him as she put it. It numbed him, he could feel everything until she left, then he was just cold and alone. He found himself drifting often when he was alone, staring at nothing and imagining he was home. It had gotten to the point where he rarely paid attention to reality anymore._

 

_Peter had come in a few minutes ago in an attempt to talk to him, but he hadn't said anything, stared at the wall past the man._

 

_"Derek, look at your uncle." Duke demands from the door he's leaning against, Derek's eyes flicker automatically towards the Alpha before obeying and turning his focus to his uncle._

 

_"This was for your own good... The hunters have an agreement with the Alphas, and you're the thing keeping it together. Kate wanted you, as did Duke. You're going to be safe, nothing can hurt you." Peter smiles hesitantly._

 

_"I'd rather have died in the house, fighting with Laura and Cora. I hate you!" He snaps, breaths coming in sharp pulses from his lungs as his fists clench in his sweatpants._

 

_"Watch your mouth, Omega. Or I'll give you something to holler about." Duke threatens, but Derek's emotions well up, having been repressed for too long already._

 

_"You're not my Alpha! I hate you too!" He shouts, Duke doesn't hesitate to storm over. "No, no.. Wait- I'm sorry." He begs as he's lifted off the floor and slammed against the wall. Peter stands up, his face just within Derek's peripheral across the room. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it." He feels the tears pool in his eyes, dripping down his face and off his chin, tapping gently against Duke's fists that are clutched in his shirt._

 

_"You're lying, stop crying. I'm going to have to make you be good."  He turns and at the same time slams Derek into the floor, who lets out a choked cry, legs dragging on the floor but one of Duke's fists keeping the rest of his body off the ground. He struggles wildly, clutching at Duke's jacket sleeve._

 

_"Ennis, escort Peter out. I have to give Derek his medicine." The word drips with another meaning, something much more dark and sinister. A sob breaks from his chest as he fears the real punishment to come, listening to Peter hesitantly objecting as he's led from the room. Duke drags him from the room, up a flight of stairs with his feet flailing and kicking against the stone steps._

 

_There's an open door, beyond it revealing a nice looking home, but Duke turns a corner and he's dragged past it and into another room. The floor is grimy white tiles, and he's lifted onto a metal table. It reminds him of the vet's exam table when they took their dog Sam for a checkup. Except there are two straps on each side of the table, Derek fights roughly against the Alpha's hold but is ultimately tied down with the restraints._

 

_His shirt is cut and torn away, pants as well, leaving him in only boxers. That's the first time he's cut into, screaming with no rescue in sight, moving against the knives and tools makes it worse but he can't help squirming under the agonizing pain. The wounds take time to heal, but Duke pauses to clean his tools as Derek sobs, a bloody mess on the table._

 

_Then the man starts all over, before finally finishing by stripping him of his boxers and tossing him under a freezing cold spray and ordering him to wash the blood away quickly. He's led back to his room naked and cold, the ache of his wounds still present even though the actual evidence has already dissipated. Derek is thrown onto the cold concrete, Duke glaring down at him and making him feel more small and helpless than before._

 

_"That'll teach you, now say it."_

 

_The words are a heavy mass in Derek's throat, tears of shame and fear, pain and embarrassment welling inside him._

 

_"Say it." The man spits._

 

_"I-I apologize for misbehaving, Alpha. Thank you for treating m-my condition with care."  He stammers out, Duke's face lights up with a small smile._

 

_"No problem, boy. Anything for my good little Omega." He receives a pat to his damp hair, the man crouching down to eye level with him. "Kate will be by in a few hours with some new clothes for you." He wipes a stray tear from Derek's cheek, fingers gentle and almost loving but too callous and cold to be remotely close._

 

_"You be good, now. If you're not a good boy you have to take medicine. We clear?" Derek nods frantically, hands placed over his lap to reserve whatever was left of his dignity. "I'm doing this for your own good, you're the one who's at fault for punishment, not me." The door slams shut, and Derek lays down, the concrete like sandpaper against his damp and fragile skin. The numb feeling doesn't come to help this time, only a cold flame of hatred for himself for a reason he cannot fathom. Maybe Duke was right, maybe it was his fault._

 

_-_

 

Stiles debates calling Scott's mom, watching Derek tremble and blink, mouth moving a little more consistently, mumbling things under his breath. But there's nothing much to do, what would Melissa do? Sedate him? Stiles didn't really want that, sedating him could trap him in a nightmare or something. Plus the idea of Derek waking up and Stiles having to admit he betrayed his rule of 'no needles, no sedatives', he doesn't want the look on Derek's face.

 

So instead he watches him closely, rubs his arm gingerly and calls out to him periodically. He's shown no sign of responding yet and it's been, Stiles checks his phone, almost eight minutes. Derek murmurs something about misbehaving and treatment. Stiles doesn't even want to know about what that could possibly mean, but then Derek begins to blink a few times in a row, eyes focusing.

 

"Derek?" He says softly, Derek blinks a few more times before his eyes start to scan around, gaze landing on Stiles as his heart slows significantly and evens out. "Hey there..." He offers a half-hearted smile.

 

"I'll be good, Alpha." Derek slurs, shifting onto his back. Stiles' heart pounds viciously in his chest, realizing that Derek's still a little out of it. "M'good boy." His head turns against the pillow Stiles had lain him on, before dropping off into sleep with a soft sigh. Stiles covers a hand over his mouth to stifle the first sob that escapes him, feeling suddenly overwhelmed by the amount of trauma Derek had endured. He lets the tears fall silently as possible, hand clasped tightly over his mouth as he stares down at Derek.

 

Even in sleep, he's not quite relaxed, mouth turned down slightly with a slight crinkle in between his eyebrows. Stiles reaches out with his free hand and rubs a soothing thumb over his jaw and cheek until his expression softens a bit more. The Alpha crawls under the covers once more, bringing them up to Derek's and his own shoulders. He wraps an arm over Derek's chest, kissing his temple softly and keeping him close.

 

He didn't care what Scott thought or said, he loved Derek intensely. Not just a lust, but a deep concern for his wellbeing and mental health. A bond formed only between mates, who sometimes shared certain emotions. And with an imaginary hand squeezing the air from his lungs, he realizes that the overwhelming emotions he had felt was a build up of fear and anger. Feeling it, sent from Derek unconsciously, to help him understand better.

 

The Omega might not even realize it, but they were already mates, through and through. They had begun the bond without even realizing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( This chapter upset me a little... I started it at 3 in the morning and now it's 7 in the morning and I have yet to sleep... I just had to finish this chapter... Hope you guys liked it! )


	8. Solidifying The Bond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles knows what's going on, but it's not like he can force Derek to be mates with him. Derek would have to make that decision for himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( New chapter so soon! I know... But I had this floating around in my head and I've been really sleep deprived and actually lost myself in this entire scene. )

Derek tried to avoid Scott and Kira after the incident, mumbling soft apologies when he somehow ran into them. Scott couldn't apologize because Derek didn't seem to want to listen, but he accepted that the Omega was fragile and needed time to be able to confront him about it. At first, Derek was content sleeping in Stiles' bed, curled up in his arms and safe from his almost constant nightmares. They didn't stop, even though he felt better and got back to sleep easier if he was with Stiles.

 

Stiles doesn't think he's gotten a full night of sleep in the past week, waking up thrashing and crying out. One night he was clawing at the juncture between his neck and shoulder, where the scars were, scrambling to remove something perhaps. Every time he was shaken awake, he spent from one to three hours to calm down. He wouldn't let Stiles touch him for a while, hiding in a ball against a corner of the bed. Sometimes he'd cry, others he would tremble with a ferocity that upset Stiles to his very core.

 

And now, with the mate bond slowly growing, unconscious or not, Stiles wanted nothing more than to be near him constantly. If Derek hadn't realized the presence of the bond, then it was unconsciously happening, although that doesn't mean non consensual. No, his wolf wanted Stiles, just as Stiles' did Derek's. The human side just couldn't comprehend those strong emotions, instead perhaps just pushing them to the back of his mind as normal feelings over affection.

 

Everything was okay, filled with lots of cuddles and hugs. Until it began to dwindle.

 

Derek would flinch when he found himself reaching for the Alpha, changing his mind and turning away. Avoiding touching him entirely, he slept on the opposite side of the bed with his back turned to him for two nights. Then he started sleeping in his own room once more, and it broke Stiles' heart. He could feel a mottle of emotions being sent through the bond, frustration, distress. Something he couldn't solve with comfort, the act itself causing those feelings.

 

Maybe Derek disagreed with his wolf, didn't want Stiles at all.. It was rare, but not impossible. Especially if his wolf has been starved of attention for so long, having detached from his wolf entirely, become two different beings in one body.

 

Liam came back at an awful time, truthfully. The house was tense, strung out with the emotions running through the pack bond from their Alpha. A deep and heavy mix of anger and depression. Scott brought him home and Stiles had given him a stiff hug, knowing that Liam would sense something amiss. The boy frowned at him and then swooped back in for another hug, tight and comforting, without a single question.

 

He warns Liam of Derek, the Beta having never been exposed to an Omega before. It could be disastrous with Derek's current emotional state, sour with distress and now twinging with anger like Stiles. When Derek comes down for dinner, Liam locks eyes with him across the room, Derek giving a timid nod. Stiles watches Liam fidget slightly, looking almost heartbroken before turning back to Stiles and Scott with complete sadness and confusion. They pull the young man out and into the living room.

 

"He's an Omega, and his emotions will affect yours. You'll want to fix him, help him.. But Derek's not a normal Omega, he's been through a lot. Trying to help him might freak him out, especially right now." Scott explains, still looking quite guilty from the incident from a week before.  "He's been, not right lately. We're still not sure what's going on, Stiles won't talk about it." He shoots Stiles a glare, and Stiles feels his eyes flash red without his strict permission.

 

He was not in the best mood to be sassed, especially with his mate in there trying to shove him right out of his life. If Derek continued down this path, the bond would eventually break, considering that they hadn't claimed each other. But the bond hadn't begun to wither yet, oddly enough. It was still strong and new, pulsing with emotions that ran through the both of them intensely. Stiles turns back and walks into the dining room, sitting down next to Derek and eating quietly.

 

Parrish has obviously caught on to the situation, but tries to keep the air light and casual. He talks to everyone except for Stiles and Derek first, loosening their nerves. He mentions casually about going shopping, and asking Stiles to make a list, he agrees. Then he asks Derek how he's feeling, the young man pausing as he looks down at his food, chewing slowly.

 

"Derek? You hear me?" Jordan questions softly, letting the concern and gentleness drip into his words.

 

"I'm fine." Is the answer he receives, before he continues to eat, not even looking up at the man. Stiles wants to snap at him, tell him to behave himself and stop acting like such a child. He's avoiding everyone, won't even let Scott apologize. He's avoiding Stiles, and shutting himself in his room almost constantly. But at the same time, he tells himself that scolding Derek would just make everything worse. He just ignores the conversation and keeps eating quietly.

 

It's near the end of dinner when Erica mentions the full moon.

 

"It's tomorrow... What are we gonna do?" She asks Stiles curiously.

 

"Dunno, do what you want.. Hang out in the living room or something." He says with a shrug.

 

"We aren't going out to play in the woods?" Liam asks, and Stiles feels something inside him tighten, clenching his jaw.

 

"No, we're not. Because if you haven't fucking noticed, there's been a group of wolves encroaching on our fucking territory!" He growls, looking up at his Beta with a scowl. Liam turns his gaze down to his plate, the scent of rejection and anxiety in the air.

 

"What the fuck is your problem?" Lydia snaps, narrowing her eyes at him. "You're being a complete prick, Stiles. I don't like this attitude, especially not aimed towards someone who has nothing to do with it." She warns, even though Stiles is the Alpha, Lydia would not hesitate to beat him down if he acts up.

 

"It's the truth! We don't even know who these guys are! We should be on high alert, not prancing through fields!" He argues, Lydia's glare turning deadly. She opens her mouth to say something and suddenly Derek's chair scrapes against the floor, the Omega standing up. His eyes wander around the table when everyone's gaze falls to him, he turns and walks away, they listen to his footsteps head up the stairs.

 

"Stilinski, what did you do?" Erica demands with a suspicious stare.

 

"I didn't do fucking anything, okay? Stop acting like I'm the bad guy, when I'm the one who's being rejected!" He croaks, tears welling in his eyes. Everyone's eyes widen, startled. "Fuck you guys." He sighs shakily, standing up and heading upstairs. He crawls into his bed alone, wiping at his face and curling up under his blankets. The pillow closer to the back wall still smells slightly of Derek, he presses it to his face and breathes deeply, calming himself.

 

He can feel the stir of emotions running through him like ice and wildfire at the same time. Some his, others Derek's. He feels alone and scared, angry and distressed. Eventually, he's not sure which emotion is his and which is the young man's just down the hall. He squeezes his eyes shut tighter when someone raps on the door softly, making himself smaller under the blankets and pressing his face further against Derek's pillow.

 

The door slides open with a soft squeak, footsteps moving softly against his carpet. He hates himself for feeling more upset when he realizes that the sound of the steps are most certainly not compatible with Derek's.

 

"Stiles?" Scotty.

 

"Go away." He calls out, but it's muffled against the pillow and beneath the blanket.

 

"Did you try to make a move on Derek?" The bed shifts under Scott's weight as he climbs into the bed, sitting down to where his thigh was pressed against his Alpha's back. He takes in a shaky breath and pulls the covers down, looking at the wall instead of peering back at his best friend.

 

"I couldn't help it, Scott. The mate bond started forming without me realizing it. I thought it'd be okay, because it wasn't forced. You can't force a bond like that, it built up on its own." He explains, voice shaking. "And everything was okay, but then suddenly he just stopped getting near me.. Stopped talking to me.. And it hurts, Scott.. I can't tell you how much it hurts." He whimpers. Scott would never know the feeling of being rejected while forming a mate bond as an Alpha. He was with Kira, and while Scott was very leadership worthy, Stiles was the Alpha.

 

"I'm sorry, Stiles... Did he.. Do you think he's not interested?" His Beta asks hesitantly.

 

"I don't know! His wolf was falling for me with ease, and then suddenly he was pulling away. Maybe he's so emotionally damaged that he doesn't even acknowledge his wolf. Having to survive with a lonely creature inside of him, he somehow blocked out its instincts." He theorizes softly, sniffling quietly.

 

"Maybe." Scott lays down next to him, wrapping an arm around his chest to tug him closer. It eased the pain a little, being near another pack member, but he could still feel that thrum of sorrow in his core.

 

-

 

The next morning, Scott's gone, and Stiles still feels that heavy feeling in his chest, even though it's a little lighter. There's a new soft feeling under his skin, the pulse of the full moon that would intensify later on as the day turned to night. He was jittery on full moons, needing a lot of simple touches and often wrestled with his Betas. Instead of getting up though, he lays in bed for another hour, thinking about Derek.

 

Eventually he pulls himself from the bed and takes a shower, getting into a new set of clothes. When he comes downstairs, Erica and Boyd are making out lazily on the couch. Scott and Liam are rolling around on the carpet together, laughing and growling softly. Kira is watching with Lydia in amusement, Kira keeps laughing with this soft smile. He notices Derek isn't there though, and walks into the kitchen to find Jordan reading the newspaper.

 

"They still duking it out?" He asks with a smirk, Stiles nods silently and grabs himself a cup and fills it with juice, having no need for coffee, energy already humming through his body. "I checked on Derek earlier. He was still in bed, asleep as far as I could tell." He adds quietly, giving Stiles this odd look, like he just knows.

 

"Sometimes Omegas sleep late on full moons, uncommon, but not unheard of." He spits out a fact, finding it the only thing he can say. "Their energy levels on full moons are much higher than a Beta's, almost as high as an Alpha's." He explains.

 

"Except with a frailer mental state." Jordan adds with a pointed look. "Maybe we should keep an eye on him today." He suggests.

 

"Yeah." Stiles mutters, finishing his juice and setting his glass in the sink.

 

-

 

Stiles lets Parrish check on Derek near the afternoon, who reports back saying that Derek was simply doodling near the window. He had asked about how he was feeling, and he had answered that he was a little jittery, but not bad.

 

"I think he'll be okay." Jordan tells him, and Stiles has this funny feeling in his stomach that tells him otherwise.

 

-

 

As evening drew nearer, the moon came out as the sun set. Boyd and Erica disappeared for a 'drive' which was also known as car sex. Kira had been wrangled into wrestling with Scott and Liam, who used blunt human nails to fight with the Kitsune now involved. She wasn't too bad at it, giggling and shrieking as she attempts to wriggle free of Scott's hold while Liam tickles her. Stiles sits on the couch with Lydia and Jordan. Parrish has his head in Lydia's lap, staring at the TV. Stiles had his head on Lydia's shoulder, both of them having their heads petted by the redhead.

 

That feeling still had not settled, even when he tried to focus on the TV show Jordan was watching. Even when he had tried to wrestle, he just couldn't. Something was up... And over time the feeling built until he felt physical discomfort, actual pain. He focuses on Derek, trying to center himself. He listens to his heartbeat, which he is panicked to find is racing frantically. A soft whining coming from the upper level of the house he hadn't noticed over the sound of playful growling and the volume of the TV.

 

He jumps to his feet, racing upstairs as fast as he can.

 

He flings the door open, finding Derek seated near the window. His comforter is in a heap beside him, the moonlight shining through the glass of the window and making the tear tracks on his cheeks more noticeable. He's breathing sharply, pained and distressed, his claws are digging into his legs. The scars suddenly make sense, an attempt at control when things got to be too much.

 

"Derek, sweetheart..." He rushes over and drops down on his legs, hesitates to reach out and touch the Omega. Derek leans into his touch when he places a hand on his back, gasping with the connection.

 

"S'too much... Stiles... Hurts more.." He gets out between gasps, words slurred from the bulky fangs in his mouth. "Never hurt this much." He sobs, head bowing as he attempts to dig his nails into his legs further, tugging roughly. He's gonna slash his legs right open if he keeps it up, Stiles moves behind him and wraps his arms around his waist, removing the Omega's hands forcefully. His wolf is screaming at him, howling roughly that his mate is hurting and needs help.

 

_Mate! Distress! Help! Protect!_

 

Stiles holds Derek's arms against his sides, squeezing him tight and kissing at his neck.

 

"It's all right, I'm right here." He whispers, kissing his ear, then his head. The contact itself makes the discomfort in his own body lessen, taking comfort in touch. Derek's breathing calms slightly into small hiccups. "I've got you, Der." He assures softly, maneuvering the young man before scooping him up into his arms. He's heavier than the first time, having gained some weight under their care. He clings to Stiles rather than hanging limply, body warm instead of freezing cold.

 

Scott and Lydia are standing just outside the door, looking concerned.

 

"He's fine, I just need to-" His eyes fill with tears as he looks down at Derek, who's a shivering mess in his arms. "I just need to take care of him." He explains softly.

 

"Call us up if he gets worse." Lydia tells him, Scott nodding in agreement. Stiles nods back and heads back to his room, hefting Derek into the alcove. He climbs into the bed alongside him, tugging the Omega in between his legs, his back pressed against the Alpha's chest.

 

"Derek, skin to skin contact really helps.. You want to take off your shirt?" He asks, tugging his own off. Derek's still making soft whimpers, shivering against him. "Gotta talk to me, Der. I can only make you feel better if you cooperate." He says softly, rubbing his hands up and down the other's arms.

 

"Y-Yes... Take- Take the shirt off." He lifts his arms up slightly and Stiles helps him slip out of it. He's quick to wrap his arms around him, naked chest against naked back, pain fading into an ache. Derek drops his head back against Stiles' shoulder, breathing heavily as things slow down.

 

"Still.. Hurts.." He gets out between pants, but it doesn't seem as bad...

 

"Derek, I know you've been avoiding me for a reason.. Could you tell me why?" He asks suddenly, Derek makes a soft agitated noise.

 

"Not now." He grumbles.

 

"No, it needs to be now. You're hurting and I think I can fix it... Why are you so distant from me?" He questions.

 

"I-I felt the bond, and I couldn't let it keep growing." He grinds out through clenched teeth.

 

"You hate me that much?" Stiles asks, feeling his own pain throbbing deep in his chest.

 

"I don't want... You shouldn't have to be stuck with me.. If you aren't tied to me, then it won't matter when.. When they come to take me." Derek actually cries out, body convulsing slightly. The hands pressed to Derek's stomach cannot draw this pain, Stiles knows what it is. Their wolves have decided that there is nobody else for them, they're mates, regardless of the lack of claim.

 

"You said that this is worse than before... Hurts bad... I was never in pain during a full moon." He explains softly. "Derek, the bond is too strong and the force of the moon is hurting our wolves. They aren't fully mated, we can't deny our wolves." He says with conviction.

 

"I don't want you to get killed by them." Derek objects. "I can't lose another person I love."

 

"The bond is going to cause serious damage if we don't do this.. We could die if it's not completed. I'd rather fight to keep you than die with you for no good reason." Stiles kisses his shoulder as Derek lets out another cry, Stiles can feel his stomach twisting into knots, a migraine growing as his entire body vibrates with the need to just claim his Omega.

 

"St-Stiles." Derek's voice breaks, arm reaching back to rest on the back of his neck and squeeze. "Make it stop." That's all Stiles needs to hear. He moves his mouth towards the juncture between his neck and shoulder, avoiding the scarred skin, and lets his fangs grow. He digs them deep into the Omega's flesh, binding himself to the other. Derek makes a strangled noise, and then falls still, he weakly fights to turn over. Stiles spins him over and settles him on his knees, feeling tired as his pain begins to drain away. Derek leans forward with clumsy hands, Stiles tilts his head so Derek can sink his own fangs into Stiles' throat.

 

There's a rush of energy, like a part of him just roared to life that had never been active before. The pain gone, leaving only a dull ache in his head from the trauma of it. Derek's slack against him, Stiles moves him over to his pillow, lifting up his legs to pull the covers from beneath him and settle them over his waist. He slumps down onto his own pillow, watching Derek look over at him, the blood stained against his neck from the bite, eyes aglow with a small smile on his face.

 

"Feels good..." Derek admits quietly, sighing in content. "Feels right." He mutters.

 

"Sleep, babe." He drags his sweaty palm over Derek's own sweaty cheek, leaning forward to brush their lips together gently. "Need your rest." He says softly.

 

"So do you." Derek counters, he swallows roughly. "Hold me?" He asks reaching an arm out. Stiles doesn't hesitate to reach out and pull Derek close, letting him lay halfway on the Alpha's chest.

 

"I love you..." Stiles whispers, kissing his forehead.

 

"You too." Derek slurs softly, already drifting off. Stiles finds himself following soon after, feeling confident in the fact that he had his mate with him and that nothing was going to take him away.

 

 

 

 


	9. Shopping And A Threat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles should have known better than to bring Derek outside the safety of the den.

The next morning, Stiles really doesn't want to face his pack. Scott had been so upset about him making a move on Derek, everyone thought it was so wrong. It didn't feel wrong, Derek cuddled up against him and breathing softly against his neck. He felt content, whole, at peace. Stiles felt stronger than ever before.

 

When Derek shifted slightly, his pulse changing pace to signal his consciousness, Stiles presses a soft kiss to his head.

 

"Morning." The Alpha says softly, rubbing his hand up and down the warm skin of Derek's bare back. It didn't feel sexual at all, they were both slotted together with Derek in sweatpants and Stiles in shorts. It felt comfortable and safe, The pads of Derek's fingertips smoothing over his chest gently as he drew from his sleep.

 

"No." The young man whined softly. "Sleep more." He grumbled, shifting and burying his face against Stiles' shoulder. Stiles chuckles quietly, threading his fingers through the Omega's hair.

 

"I'm gonna get out of bed soon, but you can sleep more if you want." At those words, Derek clings to him tighter, Stiles can't help but smile at the reaction to his teasing. He didn't feel like separating from his mate yet either, knowing that Derek would feel the same. The bond was stronger than before now that it was completed, intense, something neither of them were used to.

 

"Stay." Derek demands, Stiles hides his grin with a press of his lips against the Omega's temple. He adjusts slightly, pulling him into a sitting position alongside with him. The jostle making the other wolf whine and groan at him as the blankets fell away and left them exposed to the cool air. He gropes the shelf above him to look for his phone, remembering that he'd left it downstairs in his hurry to get to Derek the night before.

 

"I don't have my phone." Stiles says quietly, Derek moves his face from his shoulder with a sleepy scowl. "Sorry, can't sleep in, babe." He coos, pinching the Omega's cheek. Derek frowns and smacks his arm away.

 

"You aren't making me get up, and you aren't leaving without me." The young man croaks, Stiles sighs. His mate is stubborn to separate, and he's a little reluctant as well. But he has to wake the pack at a certain time, get breakfast ready.. Hell, he needed to go shopping today. And here Derek was, clinging to him like a baby monkey and refusing to let him go. He rather liked it, actually.

 

"Okay, solution." He manhandles Derek into his lap, the Omega protesting the move the entire time. Once he's positioned correctly, he lets Derek hook himself to his front. His arms wrap tightly around his shoulders, interlocking just as his legs clutch his waist and ankles hook together. Just as planned, Stiles stands with the other attached to him.

 

"If you gain any more muscle or weight, I won't be able to carry you." He says jokingly, making Derek huff against his skin. Derek was returning to a healthy weight, and he was a pretty big guy. He'd have broad shoulders and Stiles already knew he had slightly long arms and legs that would probably fill out with muscle. Stiles feels a little sad at the thought, not being able to carry his mate around. But at the same time, his mate being healthy and happy was preferred.

 

Stiles walks downstairs, finding most of the pack asleep in the living room. Scott and Kira are wrapped around Liam on the floor with a couple of pillows. Lydia is curled up on Jordan's chest on the couch, the dragon's arms loosely wrapped around the sorceress. Boyd is reclined in the love seat, Erica against his side.

 

The Alpha adjusts his grip, arms locked together under Derek's bottom to keep him hooked around his hips. He smiles at the sight of his pack so happy and content, pressing his mouth against Derek's bare shoulder and kissing it softly. Derek's head lifts slowly from the crook of his neck, turning his head to look back at the pack with squinted eyes.

 

"Everyone's asleep, we should be too." The Omega grumbles, before turning back and hiding his face once more, snuffling against his throat.

 

"Nope, because it's time to wake up!" He declares loudly, Erica groans and somehow finds a pillow on the floor without opening her eyes. She chucks it, the square hitting him in the shins. Everyone else shifts and jostles from sleep, blinking their eyes lazily open. "See? They're awake!" Stiles snorts, receiving another pillow that hits part of his face and the back of Derek's head. "Hey, watch the Omega!" He snaps lightly, rubbing the back of Derek's head.

 

He tries to set Derek on the floor, finding that the young man refuses to release him. "Aw, how cute." Kira mutters while she wipes at her eyes, Liam still clinging to her waist as she sits up. Scott frowns in confusion as he sits up, blearily looking at his Alpha near the stairs. Then he blinks, eyes widening, a small smile forming.

 

"You're mated!" He exclaims softly with glee, and Stiles feels the anxiety fall away.

 

"If Derek would actually look at people we could enjoy the celebration." Stiles jokes with a smirk, petting Derek's hair softly. The Omega groans unhappily, lowering himself from Stiles' waist but still hugging and clinging to his mate. "You're not facing anyone.." He adds with a small laugh.

 

"My eyes aren't open, it wouldn't matter anyway." The other comments smartly.

 

"He's a little clingy." Stiles says to the others, wrapping his arms around Derek's back and squeezing him tightly.

 

"As he should be." Lydia says quietly, even waking up she looks pretty beautiful. Her hair is a little messy, but her tired eyes are bright and her skin glows flawless. "I'm surprised you even got him to let go of you that much." She smiles.

 

"He's such a sweetheart..." Stiles lifts him up in a tight squeeze.

 

"That's gonna get old fast." Scott grumbles, laying back down on the floor and spooning Liam, who had reluctantly released Kira.

 

"I'm going on a grocery run today, so everyone better put down your preferred snack for the week or you get nothing!" He says as he sways back and forth, Derek gripping him tightly as he moves in place. Everyone scrambles into the kitchen to find the shopping list, well, almost everyone. Lydia stays, but Parrish gets up after learning her request and following the others into the next room.

 

"You can't leave." Derek says to him, barely leaning back to look him in the eyes.

 

"I have to go shopping or we'll all starve." He snickers, Derek frowns. "How about you come with me?" Stiles suggests.

 

"Really?" Derek looks a little nervous, but his eyes are lit up with a bit of happiness.

 

"Yeah, sure. But you can't cling to me like a koala in the store. People are going to think something's wrong." He explains, trying to tame Derek's mussed hair with his fingers.

 

"Can I hold your hand?" The Omega offers with a frown, Stiles smirks.

 

"Of course." He agrees, hugging him again. They both listen to the Betas arguing in the kitchen over the pen. He hears the metal trashcan get tipped over, followed by a small thud and a few apologies between them.

 

-

 

Stiles knows it's just a store trip, so he dresses casual. He has on a long-sleeve shirt, his plaid shirt, and his red zip-up hoodie. He slips on his red and white converse, and retrieves his phone from his shelf. He'd brought it upstairs to charge while he dressed. It wasn't at full capacity, 59% actually, but it'd have to do. He smooths out his shirt and steps out into the hallway, finding Lydia standing outside Derek's door.

 

"Remember the thermal socks!" She calls through the door, receiving a soft grunt in return.

 

"Helping him coordinate his clothing?" Stiles asks with a smile, she nods. A few days before, during Stiles and Derek's distance from each other, Lydia had taken Derek out to find clothes.

 

Derek steps out from the room, wearing a long-sleeved burgundy shirt. His thumbs are stuck through little holes in the sleeves, messing with the fabric idly. He's also got on black skinny jeans and black boots. He does a turn for Lydia when she prompts him, pausing when she reaches out to untuck the back of his shirt where it had gotten stuck in his jeans.

 

"He'll freeze out there just wearing that." Stiles comments quietly, Lydia nods as her eyes assess Derek.

 

"Go put on the hoodie I got you. The black one with the multi-colored designs on the back, that zips up? Along with the dark blue beanie." She tells him, he nods and turns to step into the door. "I left you a present on your dresser, look in the black case." She says. Stiles offers her a curious glance, present?

 

When Derek comes out again, he indeed has a black hoodie on with beautiful designs that resemble leaves and vines that are all colors of the rainbow. The Omega is also fitted with a navy blue beanie, and to Stiles' surprise, glasses that had square black frames and bluish gray temples.

 

"Glasses!" He gasps in delight, clasping his hands together. "You look so cute!" He coos, Derek's face heats up with a blush.

 

"Thank you." He murmurs.

 

"Why didn't you tell me you couldn't see?" Stiles prompts, stepping into his space and cupping the Omega's jaw.

 

"He'd grown used to it, I suppose. We sat down for lunch and when I asked Derek what he wanted he couldn't tell me. At first I thought he couldn't read, but it turns out his vision was just terrible." Lydia explains as Derek looks him in the eyes with a sparkling gaze.

 

"You're really cute." Derek breathes softly, face still pressed between Stiles' palms. Stiles feels the shock pulse through him, removing his hands with a splotchy blush of his own.

 

"Thanks, you are too." He mutters.

 

"Okay, you two. Off you go." Lydia smacks Stiles in the bottom, but doesn't dare do such a thing to Derek, instead pats his shoulder and grins.

 

"Thanks, Lyds.. See you in a few hours." The Alpha says with a grin. When he reaches the bottom of the stairs, Jordan is waiting for them with a list. He hands it off to Derek with a smile, who hands it to Stiles.

 

"Looking sharp with those glasses, buddy." Jordan pats Derek's back and they walk over to the door.

 

"Be back in a while!" Stiles calls out, mouthing an apology when it startles Derek. He grabs hold of the Omega's arm and they head out.

 

-

 

Stiles is a little worried how Derek might do in public, but he seems fine. In fact, he seems almost relaxed. Stiles had gotten him to push the cart, but had at one point stepped behind him to push the cart out of the way and Derek had hopped onto the little bar on the buggy. He hadn't stepped off, and Stiles hadn't moved away. He just pushes the cart and grabs things they need while Derek seems content to thoroughly examine the contents of their shopping list.

 

One of the workers Stiles has been friends with since high school comes around the corner, Holly. She smiles brightly at him, waving and walking over. Stiles panics a little, wondering how Derek's going to react. But the Omega doesn't even acknowledge her, instead occupies his time with observing the nutrition label on the box of Captain Crunch Stiles had grabbed.

 

"Hey, Stiles!" She grins, Stiles steps away from the buggy a little, one hand balanced on the handle.

 

"Hey, Holly." He smiles.

 

"Who's your friend?" She asks, looking up at Derek curiously. Derek pays her no mind, scratches underneath his beanie and wrinkles his nose slightly, glasses slipping down his face.

 

"This is my boyfriend, Derek. Say hi to Holly, Derek." Stiles prompts, Derek ignores him. The Alpha feels a slight bit of anger over it, disobedience from his Omega. "Derek." He gives a slight warning tone, Derek drops the box of Captain Crunch and sighs.

 

"Hi, Holly." He's looking through the cart once more, tilting forward to grab the bag of Barbeque Chips Scott had wanted.

 

"Hi." Holly's face is perplexed, a little put out.

 

"Sorry, Derek's a bit shy." Stiles says quietly. "Derek, baby. Can you go down the aisle and look for a gallon of 2%?" He asks, Derek looks over at him with a frown. "Go on, sweetheart." The Omega gives a slight scowl to Holly before hopping off the buggy and heading down the aisle.

 

"He seems a little... He's kind of weird isn't he?" The comment throws him off guard, Holly was never one for insults and Stiles isn't really sure how to take that. But instead of making a scene, he just sort of shakes his head.

 

"He's just not used to meeting new people." Stiles mutters with a sigh as he leans against his cart.

 

"How long have you been together?" She asks, seeming... Jealous? She always did sort of cling to him.

 

"Not very long." He answers.

 

"I see." The blonde nods, green eyes on the floor. "Well, I better get back to work." She hurries off in the opposite direction, Stiles looks down the aisle for Derek. He's standing by the milk, but he's not alone. He's sort of backed against the shelf, a woman standing before him.

 

"Hey!" He calls out as he pushes the cart down the aisle. The woman turns to look at him, eyes a dark sparkling green with bouncy brunette hair highlighted with blonde. "Can I help you?" He asks as the woman stares at him with curiosity.

 

"Alpha Stilinski, there's a lot of people looking for you." She hums, reaching out and putting a finely manicured hand on his chest.

 

 "Well then they suck at looking because I'm not hiding." He sneers, smacking her hand away. "Derek, get behind me." He demands, reaching out and grabbing onto the young man's arm. Derek skitters behind him close enough for Stiles to feel his breath on the back of his neck.

 

"I don't know who you think you are... But that's my bitch, and I worked hard to train him." The woman says with a malicious grin.

 

"Shut the fuck up, 'train him'? More like abuse him." He growls low in his throat, the woman merely smirks.

 

"Does he cry when you give it to him? Sit real still, softly beg for it?" She whispers, Stiles can feel the Omega's breath stuttering against his neck.

 

"Get the fuck out of here. None of you are going to lay a hand on him ever again. Not without me ripping your hearts out of your chests." He hisses, the woman grins.

 

"I like a challenge, Stilinski... And I think I'd like another bitch to tame... Derek was much too easy, I'd take my time breaking you." She murmurs with a feral smile. Stiles feels the involuntary chills shiver up his spine, but he remains firm.

 

"You could try. But I'd rather have my entrails torn from my body than submit to you." He snaps.

 

"That can be arranged." She stalks off, Stiles can hear Derek's wheezing breaths as the woman disappears around the corner.

 

"Shhh... Hey, look at me. We're safe." He cups Derek's face with a hesitant hand, pressing a soothing kiss to the Omega's lips. "I'm gonna call Jordan to come pick you up." He explains, Derek lets out a high pitched whine and lurches forward to cling to him.

 

"Sh-She'll take you.. Please don't make me leave." He hiccups, Stiles looks around and finds nobody near them. He pulls the other back, staring into his teary eyes. He lets his eyes flash a dark crimson color, receiving an icy blue glow in return.

 

"It's okay, I won't make you leave if you can calm down a little... We just need to check out then get out." He explains, Derek nods and takes in a few calming breaths. "There's my good boy." He whispers, before taking his hand in his own. Derek clings to his arm with one hand, the other hand clasped in Stiles. Holly checks them out, staring at the both of them with a mix of confusion and concern.

 

"You two okay? You look like you've seen a ghost." She mumbles, Stiles shakes his head.

 

"Just tired..." He shrugs, they head to the Jeep and Stiles calls Jordan while Derek pushes the cart.

 

"Someone Derek knows was in the store, she threatened us. No, we're fine, heading home... I just wanted you to know in case anything happens.. She's got brown hair with blonde highlights and green eyes.." He turns to Derek with a frown, the Omega looks a little dazed as he pushes the cart. His hand is still clasped tightly with Stiles. "Derek, what's her name?" He asks softly.

 

The young man doesn't answer him, doesn't even seem to hear him. They stop the cart at the Jeep and Stiles grabs his chin to force him to look at his Alpha.

 

"What's her name, Der?" He whispers.

 

"Kate." He croaks quietly, Stiles ushers him into the Jeep and loads the groceries quickly.

 

"Her name is Kate... I'm in the Jeep and we're headed home now. If we're not back in ten minutes, come looking." He explains, Jordan agrees and they hang up.

 

-

 

When they get home, Jordan and Lydia are waiting for them. Scott is pacing in the living room, Liam sitting cross-legged on the couch pensively with Kira by his side. Stiles gets pulled into a double hug from Lydia and Parrish. He steps away, and watches in complete shock as Scott tries to hug Derek only to get punched in the face.

 

"Sorry?" Scott tries quietly, rubbing at his jaw. Derek was a complex young man, and there wasn't always a clear motive behind his actions.

 

"Just... Please don't touch me." The Omega mumbles, hugging his arms against himself and climbing onto the love seat, legs tucked beneath him as he tries to make himself smaller.

 

"Yeah, sure." Scott agrees easily, sitting down on the floor next to the love seat. They all know that Derek's moods and behaviors weren't to be corrected or controlled, but supported and respected. He hit or lashed out if he was uncomfortable, as most people did. It was just that Derek was more uncomfortable with things that others usually weren't.

 

"Groceries are in the car." Stiles says, watching the others disappear outside before sitting down next to Derek. He maintains a good space between them, hands in his lap. Derek's eyes are focused on the floor, hazy and almost stoic in expression. "You all right?" He whispers.

 

"They're going to hurt you... Kill you... Or worse.. All of you aren't going to get off without some sort of payment... Because of me." The Omega's voice cracks slightly towards the end. He looks tired and upset, Stiles just wants to fix it.

 

"No, not because of you... Because of them... We will fight for you, whether you want us to or not." He whispers to his mate, reaching out. Derek lets him settle a hand on his shoulder, the both of them breathing quietly. "Why don't you go upstairs and rest?" Derek makes a soft protesting noise, but Stiles just holds up a hand. "You're agitated enough, I should have let you sleep in. None of this would have happened." He explains.

 

Derek merely sighs, pouting as he curls up on the seat further.

 

"No sir, you cannot pout your way out of this one... It's only nine, which means that you can get a good three hours until lunch." He reaches out again and pulls the other against his chest, Derek rubs his face against his throat, scenting him.

 

"Come with me?" The Omega murmurs, Stiles agrees and they head upstairs.


	10. Darkness Closing In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek experiences a night terror that causes quite the scare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( Hey, guys! Here's the new chapter! Sorry it took me so long! )

Within a few days, the impending threat is pushed from the pack's mind. Although Derek seems a little more thoughtful and pensive, Stiles tries to keep him from delving into his own self-destructive thoughts.

 

But it's hard. Stiles tries, but it's the hardest thing to save someone from themselves. And it breaks him to see his mate hurting, beating himself up over their situation.

 

-

 

Stiles' eyes snap open when he hears Derek whimpering, it's unfortunately a noise he's become familiar with. He sits up a little, watching the Omega writhe, gripping the sheets tightly and panting softly.

 

"Derek, wake up.." He reaches out and shakes the other gently. He whines softly, tugging at Stiles' heartstrings.

 

"Pl'se.... I can't... Get away!" His eyes fly open and he sits up, wheezing loudly as he flails slightly.

 

"Derek, it's okay... You're okay!" He assures, grabbing the Omega's hand when it flies near his face, Derek jerks it away and looks at him with dazed eyes. "It's okay, it's just me." He whispers, the young man's eyes fill with tears. Stiles expects a sob, Derek to fall into his arms and search for comfort, but he just stares for a moment with tears dripping down his face as he breathes.

 

"I don't want you to die, Stiles." He sounds wrecked, and Stiles finds his own eyes pricking with tears.

 

"I'm not gonna die, baby." He murmurs, Derek flinches and covers his hands with his ears. "Whoa, whoa..." He reaches out and Derek squeezes his eyes shut with a whimper. He falls into a fit, breathing raggedly with soft intermissions of hiccupping sobs.

 

"Derek, hey, c'mon... I'm sorry, for whatever I did." He says, but doesn't reach out again.

 

-

 

_Baby_

 

_"You're not going anywhere, baby." She hisses as she easily pins him onto the floor, licking a stripe up his bare chest. He sobs, screams for help, eventually his voice gives out to soft whimpers, throat raw._

 

_"You're all mine, babydoll." She coos, grabbing a fistful of his dirty hair and jerking his head off the ground, pressing their lips together in a rough kiss. "All cute and sweet, just for me, yeah?" She licks into his mouth and he goes dizzy with a mixture of feelings, fear, arousal, shame. "You're what... Sixteen, now? I can't wait for you to go into heat."_

 

_The words send a shock of terror through him, forcing soft pleas from him._

 

_"Please, stop. No-No more! I can't... Please, let me go!" He whimpers, she simply shushes him and kisses him with a little more force, leaning back and slapping him in the face for the lack of his compliance._

 

-

 

"Come back, honey... You're really scaring me here, you're not there anymore.. You're with me." He babbles, Derek's not even responding to his touch. No matter how much he shakes him, all he does is shudder and tremble, curled up slightly with his eyes fluttering. "Wake up, sweetheart..." He begs. The distress is rolling off of Derek in waves, which is only sending Stiles further into panic.

 

Scott runs in, followed by Erica and Boyd.

 

"Stiles, Stiles what's wrong?" Scott demands, grabbing his chin and turning his head to face him.

 

"He won't wake up, I said something... And it's been so long, he's not waking up, Scotty.." Stiles himself is on the verge of hyperventilation, Scott climbs on the bed and checks Derek's pulse gingerly, lifting his eyelids and watching his eyes roll.

 

"I dunno what this is.." Scott mutters, at a loss for words. "Maybe we should call my mom."

 

"It could be a stress induced seizure." Erica adds, sitting down on the edge of the bed and rubbing at Stiles' knee. Just in case, Scott rolls him onto his side, but he remains limp and breathing raggedly.

 

"Maybe we should call Deaton." Boyd says, Stiles can't even think straight. Derek is hurting, upset, whether he's conscious or not is beyond him.. But something is wrong and Stiles can't fix it.

 

"What if he just needs something to snap him out of it?" Scott suggests.

 

"Like what?" Erica asks hesitantly. Scott jumps off the bed and runs out, when he comes back in, he's carrying a cup. He dumps the contents onto Derek's face, water it seems. 

 

"Scott!" Erica smacks the Beta's arm, who frowns and opens his mouth to defend himself when Derek moans weakly.

 

"I win." Scott sticks his tongue out at Erica as Stiles climbs closer to his Omega and pulls him into his lap.

 

"Scott, go get him a towel." He snaps at his Beta, who nods and disappears out of the room again. "Der, can you hear me?" He asks softly, gathering the Omega into his arms fully. His eyes are blinking weakly up at him, confusion evident in them.

 

"It's all fuzzy.." He mumbles softly, Stiles frowns.

 

"Might actually have been a seizure." Erica says quietly, Stiles shoots her a look and she gets up, walking out with Boyd as Scott comes back with a towel. Stiles wipes off the young man's face, feeling lucky that everyone had left with the amount of cooing and comforting he was doing at the moment.

 

"What happened?" The Alpha questions, drying his hair a little.

 

"S-She was..." He mutters tiredly. "Touching me.." He gets out after a moment.

 

"You're right here with me, Derek. I won't let anyone touch you." He assures. The sun rises about thirty minutes later, Derek's slack in his arms and sleeping quietly. Scott comes into the room without a noise.

 

"I called up Deaton, he says we should bring Derek in." He whispers.

 

"Did he say why?" Stiles inquires, Scott shakes his head.

 

-

 

"He's _what_?!" Stiles exclaims, Deaton shrugs.

 

"You heard me, Mr. Stilinski." He says simply.

 

"No, but I'm hoping I heard you wrong.. Because now is not the time for this. Derek does not need this, none of us do! We're under attack!" He shouts, Deaton sighs.

 

"Lower your voice, Alpha. If you'll recall, Omegas can sense distress just like any wolf." He mutters. Derek was in the next room, he had started trembling in the car and couldn't even stand by the time they had arrived at the clinic. But this is not what Stiles was expecting.

 

"Heat?!" Stiles exclaims, a little hysterical.

 

"Shouting does nothing." Deaton rolls his eyes. "But yes, Mr. Stilinski.. Heat."

 

"What caused it? Was it us being mated?" He questions a little guiltily.

 

"No, I believe it to be the flashback he had. It was vivid enough for his subconscious to believe that someone other than his mate were after him. By going into heat, it would get you to fight off the cause of his distress. There was a sort of seizure, as Ms. Reyes guessed. His body forcing itself into a heat ready state." The man explains.

 

"A flashback of a rape caused him to go into heat. I'm sorry, you must not be hearing yourself, because that just justifies the fact that Derek should not have to go through this!" He flails his hands around.. "You have to give him something, suppressants or something."

 

"Of course, that's easy. A simple shot and it'll balance out his hormones." The man shrugs with a small smile. Stiles isn't sure if it's just him, but he almost always wants to punch the smile off the man's face.

 

"He doesn't like needles." He offers instead of the punch, Deaton simply sighs.

 

"Needle or heat... There's no other option." He mutters, Stiles runs a hand through his hair and turns to walk back into the exam room.

 

"Stiles, are you okay?" Derek asks softly from his spot on the exam table. Scott has a hand on his back, looking just as concerned for his friend.

 

"I'm fine, we can go in just a minute." He grabs Derek's chin lightly and gives him a chaste kiss.

 

"What's wrong with me?" The Omega inquires hesitantly.

 

"Apparently, nothing... Nothing really wrong.. Except, you're going into heat." Scott's hand drops off of Derek's back, suddenly looking like he's gonna get his hand bitten off. By Stiles or Derek, he's not sure, but he takes a couple steps back apparently just in case. An Alpha had a tendency of getting a little aggressive in times like this, but Stiles was going to keep his cool.

 

"Heat?" Derek's lip quivers gently, Stiles pulls him close.

 

"All you need is a shot, that's it." Derek squirms in his grip suddenly, pushing him away and scrambling off the table.

 

"Can't... Can't I take a pill?" He asks in a panic.

 

"I asked already, it's needle or heat." He doesn't try to over step his bounds, simply stands before the Omega with his hands in his pockets. Derek wraps his arms around himself in a tight embrace, tears gathering in his eyes. It's obviously a stressful decision, one that Stiles will have to support either way. They stand there for a moment in silence, Derek's eyes darting around as if he's looking for a way out.

 

"Shot... I'll take the shot.." Derek says quietly after a moment, wiping away a tear when it drips down his face.

 

"Okay, that's great." He can't help but move into Derek's space to comfort him, lifting him back up to sit on the examination table even though he really didn't need any help. Derek was.. Well, he was big. His body type was much broader than Stiles, and to think that he was an Omega and Stiles was his Alpha was a little baffling... Stiles was never one for stereotypes, but out of all the cases he'd witnessed he'd never seen a lean young Alpha with a broad muscled Omega.

 

Deaton gives them a moment to interact, before pulling out the needle. Obviously it wasn't a good idea considering the second Derek laid eyes on it, he'd started hyperventilating. It took Stiles a few minutes to calm him before coming up with an idea. Scott stands on one side and Stiles on the other with Deaton in plain sight, obviously the vet wasn't very well trusted and if Scott were to do it perhaps it wouldn't result in such a violent reaction.

 

Stiles keeps Derek's eyes on him, running his hands over the young man's jawline and neck in a comforting manner, pressing soft kisses to his lips. As soon as he believes Derek is distracted enough, he lifts a finger to signal Scott, who presses the needle into Derek arm. Stiles keeps a firm grip on him, the Omega jerks a little and tries to look over at Scott. Stiles simply keeps his head turned and eyes focused on him.

 

"All done." Scott grins, pressing a cotton ball down on the wound and taping it down. "Wasn't so bad, right?" He murmurs.

 

"No, not bad..." Derek mumbles in return, fingers hovering over the taped down cotton.

 

"It might be a little sore at first, but you're a wolf, you'll heal in a few hours." Deaton explains, taking the needle from Scott to throw it away in the biohazard bin. "You're going to need one of those every six months if you wish to stay off of your heat for the near future." He tells Derek, who nods hesitantly. "Other than that, you should be fine... Possibly a little drowsy later tonight as the hormones really set in, but yes, just fine. No heat, no problem." He smiles at them before putting away some things.

 

-

 

Deaton's words ring true, later that evening, Derek's proclaiming he's tired and dozing on Stiles' shoulder while they sit on the couch. Eventually, Stiles taking pity on him and ushers him upstairs, tucking him into bed once he's in a simple t-shirt and boxer-briefs.

 

"Where you going?" Derek asks with a small frown when Stiles doesn't join him. Stiles runs a hand through the Omega's hair and leans down to press a kiss to his forehead.

 

"I'll be downstairs with the others, I have to talk to Parrish about your case." He explains, Derek doesn't seem to really like that answer, but accepts anyway and tells him to hurry up and come to bed.

 

-

 

"Look, when I presented the fact that we'd found a kid previously thought dead in a river it was a tough thing to sell without him actually being there. They want to talk to him, and even though I'm the Sheriff, I'm not above the law." Jordan tells him as they sit in the kitchen drinking tea.

 

"I just don't know if he'll be able to keep a straight story. It's not like he can say that he's been tortured for years and the only reason he's not horrifically marked up is because he magically heals." Stiles defends with a scowl.

 

"We'll have to coach him to avoid anything wolf related, and it's gonna be tough... I can monitor the interview, and if he gets overwhelmed then I'll call time out and let him breathe for a while... It's obvious he has PTSD, it's not gonna be hard to sell that he's confused and traumatized. They won't push." Jordan says, stirring the liquid in his cup.

 

"They're going to want names and places, what if the cops find their hide out and there's a mass murdering of police officials?" The Alpha exclaims quietly, shaking his head. There were so many things that could happen, things that could go wrong. He just wanted Derek safe, and it's not like they could hide his existence. There was a missing person's record of him, with a big murder case attached to it.

 

"There's something else." Jordan looks a little grim.

 

"What?" Stiles is suddenly panicked, worried about anything that could possibly cause any trouble between him and Derek.

 

"They're going to notify his next of kin... His little sister... I'm just warning you because she might want him back. She lives in New York." The man tells him quietly.

 

"Like hell!" Stiles snarls, enraged. "I don't give a fuck who she is, she's not getting him."

 

"Stiles, she could claim that he's not mentally capable of making decisions himself and take him." Jordan mutters, legally she could present a case. But it would be possible to prove it wrong. He wouldn't give up Derek, and if this little sister was a wolf then she'd understand.

 

"Derek is my Omega, I'll kill her if she does anything to him without his permission." He spits.

 

There's suddenly a crash from upstairs, they both snap their heads up to the ceiling to listen.

 

"STILES!" Scott screams suddenly, he takes off for the stairs with Jordan on his heels. He locates the sound of the crashing, swinging the door wide open.

 

His eyes glow as his shift takes hold, he growls low in his throat.

 

"Take your hands off of him." He demands quietly.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( Ooooh, cliffhanger. You'll just have to wait until the next chapter to see what's going on!!! )


	11. Breaking And Entering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unwelcome stranger has a hand clasped around Derek's arm, Stiles is definitely not a happy camper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( Hello! Welcome to the new chapter! )

There's a young girl before them, maybe fourteen. Which really, did they send her because they thought Stiles and his pack wouldn't attack her? Because, wrong sir, he will maul a five year old if they threaten someone he loves... Which sounds really bad, but he doesn't care who's doing it, someone is standing before them barely keeping Derek on his feet. He looks lost and tired, blinking his sleepy eyes at Stiles.

 

Stiles feels like this is Deaton's fault.

 

"Let him go." He demands, eyes flashing red. The girl's eyes glow red in return, a growl working from her lips as she strengthens her hold on Derek's arm. Stiles is really confused, he expected a hunter. Then again, the Alpha pack was looking for him as well... This girl would get no mercy if she was intending to bring him back to that horror show.

 

"Is he drugged? Are you drugging him?" The girl demands with a hiss, Derek blinks once more and looks a bit more awake, looking over at the girl with a confused expression.

 

"Scott, how in the hell did she get in here?" He snarls at his beta, who's standing next to a broken table that he was probably thrown into.

 

"Climbed in through the window, I guess." Scott mutters, bringing his claws out and letting his eyes light up with their wolf color. Boyd appears in the doorway behind Parrish, growling loudly with Erica in tow. It's five against one, even if she's an Alpha, she's young and outnumbered.

 

"Derek can't climb out the fucking window like that. He's hopped up on a hormone high from heat suppressors." At his words, the girl falters slightly, eyes flickering back to their normal deep brown. She looks so young, confused and a little frightened.

 

"Heat suppressors?" She echoes. "You gave him those? You don't want to..." Her eyes flicker between the group and the young man she's clutching by the arm.

 

"I'd never force my mate to do anything he doesn't want to." He snaps, stepping forward. "Derek, c'mere darling." He holds out his hand, Derek doesn't hesitate to walk right over to Stiles, looking sleepy and slightly agitated. Surprisingly, the girl lets him go, looking startled.

 

"Mate?" She whispers softly as Derek steps into Stiles' arms and nuzzles at his shoulder, squeezing him lightly and mumbling something about being woken up.

 

"Who are you?" He asks, relenting his hold so Jordan can grab Derek and pull him out of the line of fire. Ironic considering Jordan was the one with the fire.

 

 "I thought he was being held against his will." She explains, instead of answering.

 

"We saved him from the people holding him captive." Stiles tells her hesitantly, unsure about the girl's attitude. They were on edge, awaiting an attack, but this was not it. Derek made a startled noise suddenly, Stiles chances a glance in his direction. He's looking right at the girl with surprise and a little more soberness.

 

"Cora?" He mutters, the girl lights up. She rushes forward and slams into the teen's chest, they stagger slightly together but the girl keeps him steady.

 

"I missed you so much, big brother. Everyone thought you were dead." She says as she presses her face against his chest and nuzzles it, Stiles feels a flame of jealousy ignite in his belly.

 

"You're the sister from New York." Stiles says suddenly, realization dawning on him.

 

"Yeah, sorry for the scare. I just heard Derek was staying with a group of people at a house and had a hunch that you'd be a pack." She tells them with a sigh, barely releasing her brother to talk. "I guess I was right." She murmurs.

 

"You're the Alpha, then?" Scott asks warily, she nods.

 

"I'm new to it." She twists her hands together, looking around. "Nobody understood why I wasn't Alpha before, but then about two weeks ago I became an Alpha. I guess it's an age thing." She shrugs, but Derek suddenly looks guilt stricken.

 

"Peter..." He says hoarsely, putting a hand over his mouth.

 

"Peter? Uncle Peter?" Cora asks in bewilderment. Derek drops to the floor and sits against the wall, curling his legs against his chest and wrapping his arms around his shins. "Derek?" She looks so startled, not used to this behavior from her brother.

 

"They killed him, because of me." Derek chokes out, Stiles can't bear to watch his Omega suffer. He scrambles to sit next to Derek, pulling his head against his shoulder with his hand massaging at the nape of his neck.

 

Everyone slowly sits down, the entire group just sitting on the carpet watching the Alpha soothe his mate. Cora is the last left standing, looking completely befuddled, but lowers herself down anyway. Stiles pulls Derek gently with one arm, before patting his lap with his hand to get him to understand. Derek pulls himself out of his position to sit between his legs, his back against Stiles' chest and his face turned slightly against his neck.

 

Stiles encircles his arms around him, rubbing his cheek across Derek's head.

 

"How long have you two...?" Cora asks quietly, pointing between the two of them with caution.

 

"Not very long, but Stiles is a dedicated Alpha." Scott comments with a bright smile, leaning against Kira, who had appeared at some point with Liam. They each sat against Scott's sides, Stiles wondered if something was going on between them. But he'd better not mess with it, Liam had always been very attached to Scott.

 

"Derek has become one of his top priorities, he really knows how to handle an Omega." Lydia nods, holding onto Jordan's arm that was slung around her.

 

"I was never really good at Omegas, I was too rough." Cora admits with a soft blush. "I'd get into play fights with Derek that got too out of hand, he'd get hurt and I'd get in trouble." She shakes her head with a small smile, sadness in her eyes.

 

Derek is quiet, calmer in Stiles' embrace. Lately he calmed so much easier around him, it was nice to just pull him close and have him slow down and relax.

 

"You weren't that rough." Derek says finally after a pause of silence.

 

"Really now? I remember one time I knocked you into a stair railing and you burst into tears immediately." She grins, he shakes his head with a small pout.

 

"I was eleven." He grumbles, she snickers. "Young Omegas are babies." He objects.

 

"Big Omegas are babies too." Cora sasses, Derek huffs. "I missed you." She whispers, tone a little softer.

 

"I missed you too." Stiles lets go of Derek, pushing him towards his sister. He sits up and walks on his knees over to the young girl, pulling her into a hug.

 

"I'm sorry I didn't find you sooner." Cora mumbles, Derek pulls away.

 

"Don't start... You sound like Laura with all that guilt." He jokes weakly, smiling gently. "If you'd known, you would have found me." He nods.

 

"Was... Was it bad?" She asks warily.

 

"It wasn't a walk in the park." Derek murmurs, scooting back and reclining against Stiles like he's a personal chair, squeaking when Stiles touches his armpit. "Stiles!" He scolds, tucking his own hands under his arms for protection.

 

"Sorry, you were using me like a chair." He shrugs, Derek snorts. "There are apparently a pack of wolves and a group of hunters after Derek." He says, getting back to business.

 

"Why?" Cora asks with a frown.

 

"I'm... Not really sure.. Derek's not too keen on telling me." He wraps his arms around the Omega's waist, kissing softly at their mating bite scar.

 

"Derek?" Cora inquires, the young man squirms under the amount of eyes on him, sighing.

 

"The hunters made a deal with the pack, they wanted wolves working for them. Kate was living with the pack, and she's a hunter.... There was a truce, Kate gets an Omega and the pack gets to use me once I started going into heat. Their entire agreement revolved around me." He starts hesitantly, fidgeting.

 

"But then when they started talking about me getting too old for heat, and the possibility of me being infertile..." He shifts, taking in a sharp breath. Stiles grabs at the back of his neck, squeezing gently to ground him. "They wanted another Omega, they wanted to kill me. She had grown.. Attached." He whispers. "They posed that maybe sexual activity with a male instead of a female would kick start it." His hands are twitching closer to his lap, protecting his crotch. Stiles keeps his hands along his stomach.

 

"But Kate was having second thoughts, and decided that she wanted me to herself. She was going to take me by force, Duke heard her talking about it... They were going to attack and kill everyone for me, and so they decided that when that time came.. They didn't want her to get her prize." He croaks.

 

"Where does your uncle come in?" Stiles asks warily.

 

"He was part of the deal in the first place. Our family was going to die because they couldn't agree on a treaty, he made a deal with the hunters and the pack. He gives them me and leaves an opening in our defenses, he gets to live." He explains, voice hurried and nervous.

 

"That means the pack must be dead, because if Peter is dead..." Lydia adds, Derek nods.

 

"But we aren't sure." Stiles says with a heavy sigh.

 

"She wants her prize, she won't stop until she gets it." Stiles smells blood before he sees it, Derek's nails digging into his thighs. He grabs his hands quickly and tugs them free of the flesh, holding them tightly in his own as the other breathes a little quicker.

 

"Shhh... You're safe, I won't let anything happen to us." He assures softly, turning him slightly so he can see Stiles. He pulls him close and lets him bury his face against the Alpha's throat, scenting and calming himself, clawless hands fisted in his mate's shirt.

 

"It's been quite the day for Derek, Jordan can you show Cora a guest room? We can talk in the morning." He murmurs, petting Derek's hair. The dragon agrees, although Cora is reluctant to leave Derek alone, she eventually walks out behind the man.

 

Stiles helps Derek to his feet, ushering him into bed and making sure he takes the spot against the wall in the alcove to feel safer. He climbs in beside him after stripping down to only his boxers, tugging him into his arms and letting him drift off to sleep in his mate's embrace.


	12. A Cornered Animal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek isn't going down without a fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( You guys must hate me, I haven't updated in FOREVER. I'm sorry, I get distracted with other things and lose inspiration. I've been restraining myself from writing another new fic because I've got like three active ones at the moment. Hopefully I can finish some of them before my writing gets out of hand and I post a new one. )

Cora is a bit.... The only word Stiles can think of is 'lurky' but he doesn't think that's even a word. She's great at sneaking around, popping up in places. They can't even find her the next morning, until of course she appears in the kitchen right behind Stiles and scares the shit out of them all.

 

"I had to check in with my pack, make sure they know I'm okay. But they aren't coming over because I told them to back off for a while." She explains as she sits down next to Derek and steals a bite of his toast. He looks like he doesn't really care, continues eating as if it didn't affect him. "So what's going on with this place? It reeks of a territory war.." She grumbles.

 

"Derek's got some people after him." Stiles explains, reaching over to pat Derek's shoulder gently when he tenses. "But we're gonna handle it." He assures.

 

"Well... Maybe he shouldn't be around here if there are people after him." She says cautiously, the air goes thick with silence.

 

"I disagree, my mate is quite safe where he is." He mutters.

 

"Obviously not considering I could have killed him with ease last night." Cora scoffs, Stiles bites his lip in growing anger. "A fourteen year old snuck through your defenses." She snorts.

 

"You're not taking Derek." He says simply, Cora glares at him.

 

"That's it? You've decided for him?" She hisses.

 

"He can do what he wants. Derek?" The man looks rather nervous, Stiles immediately feels bad for putting him in that position. "Do you want to go with Cora, Derek?" He asks with a softer tone.

 

"May I be excused?" Derek says quietly, offering Stiles a pleading look. Stiles nods hesitantly, watching him stand and walk away.

 

"Don't follow him." Stiles snaps at Cora, who drops back down into her seat with a flash of her red eyes. "You may think it's cute to flash those around and tell people what to do, but you're nothing except a bratty child." He murmurs, stands up and cleans off his and Derek's plate. "You can't protect Derek, you can't even protect yourself."

 

He storms out, finding Derek putting on his jacket. "Where you going, babe?" He inquires curiously, nervously.

 

"Will you go on a walk with me?" The Omega whispers, Stiles nods. "Just for a bit." He adds.

 

"Yeah, sure."

 

It would turn out to be a big mistake.

 

-

 

They walk down the road in silence, at some point Derek reaches over and twines their fingers together, but says nothing. It's quiet and peaceful, Derek looks like he's got a lot on his mind, forehead crinkled up and mouth dipping into a frown.

 

"It's okay if you want to go with Cora... I'd understand." He whispers. "I could visit.. Whenever I could.." He offers.

 

"She's my sister.." Derek states, like it's an answer. Stiles feels his heart shrink a size too small, taking in a deep breath so he can accept the rejection to come. "So how come I don't want to go with her? I should, shouldn't I?" The words make Stiles cough out his deep inhale, shocked.

 

"You... You don't?" He asks.

 

"No.. I want to see her, but... I want to stay here." He admits.

 

"That's okay, she can come visit whenever she wants. At least, if she tones down the lurking." Stiles snorts, Derek's lips finally quirk into a smile.

 

"I'm so glad that you-"

 

_**BANG** _

 

The noise makes his ears ring, he freezes up, limbs locking in place. He turns his head to look behind them, spotting three men running their way, one with a sniper rifle.

 

Stiles' eyes snap back over to Derek, afraid to see a bullet wound, his dead body... The end of the poor young man's life when it was just getting better.

 

But Derek is fine, staring down at Stiles' stomach, the Alpha tilts his head down a bit. His hoodie is darkening with a deep crimson color, and the pain hits him ten-fold with a sudden urgency. He whimpers as he collapses to his knees with the force of it, Derek falling with him, hand pressing to the wound shakily. It should have healed, which means it's wolfsbane, the pain is a sharp throb through his entire body. Derek's voice is muffled from the ringing of the shot, but his mouth moves with rapid urgency, panic in his eyes.

 

The footsteps are getting louder, Stiles makes an attempt to get up, to protect Derek. But the Omega settles him down on the gravel, pressing Stiles' own hands on the wound, before standing. He tries to speak, to tell Derek to run and not look back, but there's warm liquid pulsing in his throat and when he coughs he tastes metal. He turns his head as his vision swims, watches figures moving with rapid movements.

 

His hearing is still shot, fingers warm and sticky where they rest on his stomach. The pain fills him from the inside out, his sight begins to dim, black dots floating and distorting the image before him. He feels the darkness taking hold, listening to echoes of noise as his head drops against the gravel and he loses consciousness.

 

-

 

"You're not answering me!" The voice is loud and distressed, followed by a hushed murmur. "Is he gonna wake up or not?" The louder voice demands, another whisper that's undiscernible.

 

Stiles groans as pain filters back through his system, although shockingly it's more of an ache than a stabbing feeling. He blinks his eyes open, the lights above him are too bright and he turns his head away from them.

 

"Stiles?" He tries again, finds it still unbearable. "Turn off the lights." The voice from before commands. "Stiles, open your eyes."

 

He cracks his lids open, finding a familiar and concerned face before him. Derek.

 

The young man has a cut near his hairline, a split lip. Stiles wishes his healing factor were stronger, but supposedly years of abuse had depleted it. Although granted, the cuts did look like they were already scabbed over.

 

"You can hear me, right?" Derek asks quietly, tears in his hazel eyes. Stiles nods, the man lets out a relieved sob. "I was so scared, I thought you were gonna die!" He mumbles.

 

"M'okay, I think." He croaks, tries to shift into a sitting position, only to be pushed back down and a light shined in his eyes. He moans in protest, turning his head and squeezing his eyes shut.

 

"Welcome back, Mr. Stilinski." It's Deaton, the asshole vet that doubled as a werewolf doctor funnily enough. "You had quite the close call."

 

"Hunters?" He inquires, pushing back the nausea the sudden light had brought on.

 

"Your mate took care of them, apparently. Omegas prove to be quite violent when their mates are endangered." He sounds amused, Derek makes a quiet growling noise. "But that's none of my business." His boots click against tile as he walks out, Stiles opens his eyes and figures out that he's on the vet table in the exam room. Derek standing next to him looking tired and afraid.

 

"I got so scared, I couldn't let you die." His voice cracks, Stiles reaches out with a shaking hand to grab his hand and squeeze it.

 

"You did just fine, Derek." He whispers, the Omega looks grateful and relieved at his praise.

 

"We can go home, if you want." Derek offers, Stiles nods, yelping when he's hefted into Derek's arms. "Sorry, did I hurt you?"

 

"No, you just.. I didn't realize you could pick me up." He laughs softly, dropping his head against the Omega's warm chest.

 

"I've been bulking up quite a bit, and you aren't that heavy." Derek says as they start to move, Stiles allows himself to drift, even when he hears other voices around him. He thinks they belong to Scott and Jordan, but he can't be sure, they sound familiar and unthreatening. He allows exhaustion to take over instead of worrying about it, comfortable in Derek's arms.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( Derek sure showed them! Hope you liked it, remember to comment and leave kudos if you please! )


	13. Not That Kind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack gets some surprise visitors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( Hey guys, I'm trying really hard to get back into the game. My birthday was yesterday and I really want to finish all my unfinished stories but the reason they've been so dead is because I barely have inspiration anymore... I'm trying my best though, love you! )

The knock comes in the late evening, just a simple two knocks on the door while they all sit in the living room. A silence befalls the group, Stiles stands without prompting, watching all eyes fall to him.

 

"Stiles." Derek says quietly, gaze holding a wariness.

 

"I got this." He assures, leaning over to kiss his head, and walking over to the door. He peers through the peephole, finding two dark figures standing on the other side. "Look alive people.." He murmurs, flipping on the porch light and unlocking the door.

 

Before him stands two men, one younger and reeking of anxiety and off brand cologne, the other older and carrying the scent of ingrained gunpowder and sweat. He smiles kindly at them both, only holds the door open a fraction.

 

"Can I help you gentlemen?" He inquires with a slight tilt of his head.

 

"You can cut the act, Alpha. We'd like to have a talk with you." The older one says, the younger nodding in agreement.

 

"I'm not sure what you think you're doing encroaching on my den, but I can assure you it's not a smart move." He says quietly, narrowing his gaze.

 

"As I'm sure you've noticed, we're not on the best terms. But we have to acknowledge that you've been an upstanding Alpha until late." The older explains, before gesturing past Stiles. "Do you mind if we come in? We're unarmed." He promises, Stiles simply smiles. The older man has dark black hair with graying edges, wrinkles around the creases of his eyes, and a lightly tanned skin. If it weren't for his obvious hunter scent, he'd appear to be any normal forty-something guy.

 

"We can talk outside, because giving you a floor plan to my home isn't on my to-do list." He steps outside and shuts the door behind him. "Start talking before I lose my patience." He snaps.

 

"We came in contact just a few weeks back, lost four of our men if you'll recall." The man says with a sigh. "Men taken out by our target, set by our leader on his daughter's request."

 

"Target... What do you need him for?" He asks curiously.

 

"Every girl wants a handsome plaything." The younger speaks, and unfortunately for him, his first words pull the first warning growl from Stiles' throat. The older man jabs his companion in the arm and shoots him a glare. "Sorry, my apologies." He squeaks, averts his eyes.

 

"She's attached to him, he'd been living in close quarters with her for quite a while... It'd be for the best if you didn't get in the middle of it." The man suggests with a shrug.

 

"I think it's a little late for that... Especially since your target is mated to me." He explains casually, both of the men's eyes widen in surprise. "So you'll have to go through an entire pack of pissed off wolves if you want the Omega in this den." He swears to them, smiling in a way that can only be described as feral. "Have a lovely night, gentlemen." He turns his back and opens the door, slamming it behind him.

 

Derek's waiting for him on the other side, with the others nearby, standing around anxiously.

 

"I told you... They aren't going to stop until they get me." Derek murmurs, licking his lips and ducking his head in the slightest.

 

"Well I'm not going to stop until you're safe.." Stiles replies easily, reaching out and wrapping his hands around his mate's waist. "They have nothing on us, a couple of bullets is nothing. They can't shoot up the house.." He snorts, kissing Derek's temple when he drops his chin onto Stiles' shoulder.

 

"You should probably get better security though.." Everyone looks to see Cora hovering at the top of the stairs, arms dangling over the railing. "I can slip through it without a sweat, hunters are pretty stupid but they aren't that stupid." She says with a frown.

 

"She's right, Stiles... We're gonna need to lock this place down a little better." Scott approves. "Maybe Jordan can hook us up with something." He suggests.

 

"Yeah... Yeah, I'll look into that." Stiles runs his fingers through Derek's hair, sighing. "Until then, nobody goes off on their own... Everyone knows where everyone is at all times, I want phones on, we'll need to use code words..." He lists, biting his lip. "I don't want you stepping a foot out of your intended path without me knowing. Try to stay with another pack member whenever you can.." Everyone is sharing nods, looking around at the others.

 

"This is serious, any misstep can fuck everything up. Watch your backs, stay safe, okay?" He shares a few hugs with the others, fleeting touches, before everyone heads up to bed.

 

"Stiles, she's dangerous.." Derek says once they're alone, climbing the stairs to head to bed. "She's manipulative and dangerous... And scary..." The last word sort of slips into the vulnerable tone Derek had carried in the beginning. Stiles reaches over and clasps their hands together.

 

"It'll be fine, I promise." He nods, and Derek gives his own tilt of his head in agreement. "We have a lot of preparing to do, and we'll have to be on alert. But we'll get through this."

 

They hop into bed and sink under the covers, Stiles wraps himself around Derek's back and kisses the back of his neck. "Love you." Derek whispers.

 

"Love you too." He sighs, eyes slipping closed.


	14. The Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It all comes down to this, a meeting in the forest, a final showdown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( Well, this is it! The final chapter of this show down! I really hope you enjoy! )

"We can't, Stiles." Scott begs, but Stiles simply sighs. "Getting hostile is never the answer!"

 

"Lydia and I have made our decision, if you choose to abandon us, then that's your decision." He mutters, finger scrolling his webpage downwards as his eyes roam the screen.

 

"You know I'd never do that." Scott says seriously, and Stiles looks up at him. "I'm with you, but I think you should rethink this. These are hunters.." He says pleadingly.

 

"These are hunters after my mate, I won't have that. They either back down, or die.. Simple as that." He answers stoically, and Scott frowns before turning and walking away. Derek is sat beside him on the couch, quieter than usual, feet against Stiles' thigh. "You okay, love?" He mutters.

 

"I just.. Don't want any of you to get hurt because of me. I'm going with you." He says, and Stiles' head snaps up.

 

"Like hell you are." He snarls, and Derek's own eyes flash as he growls in return.

 

"I'm not a child, I can handle myself." He snaps, and Stiles shakes his head.

 

"You turned into a mess the last time you saw Kate, what if you come across her in battle?" He demands, Derek's eyes dim and he sits back against the arm of the couch, crossing his arms in frustration. "What happens when you freeze up? Or have some sort of flashback? Just fall over and get yourself taken from me, and I won't have that. No way." He shrugs, looking back down at his laptop.

 

"I want to help Lydia with her magic, then.. I can stay back at a distance, please Stiles, just let me help." He says, begging.

 

"I'll talk with Lydia." He assents after a moment of silence, and then suddenly he's crushed in a hug.

 

"Thank you, Stiles." He whispers, and kisses at his cheek and jaw.

 

-

 

"So you going to hand over the Omega?" A man asks at the front, he's accompanied by Kate, and a bunch of others locked and loaded. 

 

"I'd rather be flung into the sun." Stiles answers snobbishly, crossing his arms.

 

"There are so few of you, many of us... We have guns, you'll all die." The man says, and something flickers in his eyes, like pity or sympathy. "I urge you to give it up."

 

"My mate stays." Stiles says, and the man sighs as the woman leans over to whisper something to him with a malicious grin.

 

"All right then, let's get this over with." All the men take aim, and the battle begins.

 

-

 

"Where's Derek?" Stiles demands from Liam, who's beside him crouched behind a tree.

 

"With Lydia and Parrish, last I saw. She really hit hard with that spell, there can't be that many left!" He shouts over the gunfire, and Stiles nods, peering around the corner of the tree. There aren't many men visible, there's a lot of gunfire though. Lydia had mostly knocked their weapons away, knocked them all back. She was equipped with a bow somewhere, hopefully with Derek and Parrish.

 

Scott was with Kira, the girl was a wonder with that sword, Stiles watches a head tumble from the brush and knows it's her doing.

 

He'd lost track of Boyd and Erica, but they hadn't called for his help yet. They could handle anything, Erica was tougher than nails. Stiles swings out when someone moves closer to the tree, his claws slicing through a face before he topples on top of a man to finish him off.

 

They were going to win, no matter how much blood they spilled.

 

-

 

"Derek?! Derek!" He screams over the silence, racing through the slushy grass, jumping over bodies and spinning in circles. They had won, he thought, they had gotten all of the hunters.. Except, some had retreated, and Derek was gone.

 

"We'll find him, Stiles." Lydia tells him, her own eyes glowing with her power. They head off into the dark, in search of the Omega.

 

-

 

"I'm okay, Stiles.. I'm okay.." Derek had run up to him when they'd seen him, the pack having found him in a clearing not far from the battleground. There are a few bodies on the ground, Stiles observes as he squeezes his mate tightly and breathes in his sweaty scent.

 

"What the hell were you doing?" He demands, releasing the man.

 

"I... I couldn't let her leave, she'd find someone else... I couldn't let it happen to anyone else, Stiles." He shakes his head slowly, tears streaming down his face. In the middle of those bodies, lays Kate. Her throat slit, eyes dead and staring at the night sky above her. There's a bittersweet feeling to that moment, that even though they won, there had been so much suffering from it. So much death...

 

"Let's go home. I'll call up that guy to get the bodies." Stiles says, and they all turn to walk away together. Exhausted, bloody, but together, always together.

 

-

 

_**Two Years Later** _

 

"Merry Christmas, Stiles." Derek says, collapsing onto his chest where he lays on the couch. Stiles' breath is knocked out of him in the process, Derek often forgot his own weight and threw it around as if it was nothing. But he wraps his arms around the young man despite his crushing, squeezes him with a grin. All the presents had been opened, the food eaten, and everyone had fallen asleep all over the living room. Even Cora had come to visit, as per usual. She'd brought some boyfriend of hers for dinner, Derek hadn't been too happy at the sight of him.

 

Everything was so normal, so nice, it was almost as if nothing had happened. Of course it had, though. Because Derek still woke up screaming some nights, he was self conscious and couldn't be naked around anybody. He was still in therapy, a special therapist for the supernaturally gifted, but every day seemed brighter.. They had hopes of a future, a great one in fact.

 

"Merry Christmas, Der... And happy birthday." He smiles, and Derek leans back to press his lips to Stiles'. He tasted of mint, cocoa, and home. Maybe they weren't perfect, but they sure as hell were happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( Well, that's all she wrote! Well, he... But regardless, everything wraps up quite nicely, in a sort of gruesome way I suppose. Not everyone can live happily ever after without a little spilt blood. Thanks for reading, and sticking with me through all of this. Merry Christmas, happy holidays, have a great night! )


End file.
